The Potter Twins and the Chamber of Secrets
by Fizzyberries302
Summary: Selena Potter is confused. A secret Chamber has been opened up and something from within is attacking all Muggle-born students, her telekinesis is getting out of control and what is this strange fluttery feeling she's getting when she's around Draco Malfoy...
1. The Worst Birthday

"… _though the Witch knew of the Deep Magic, there is a magic deeper still which she did not know. Her knowledge goes back to the dawn of time. But if she could have looked a little further back, into the stillness and the darkness before Time dawned, she would have read there a different incarnation. She would have known that when a willing victim who had committed no treachery was killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table would crack and Death itself will turn backwards_ …" Selena read to herself on her bed at 4 in the morning by the light of the dim lamp next to her bed, while her brother Harry slept. She had randomly stumbled upon C. S. Lewis' classic novel ' _The Chronicles of Narnia; The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe_ ' one lazy afternoon of cleaning. She was about to chuckle to herself at the irony of the title when her Great Horned owl, Elvis started making a racket, rattling against the lock of his cage. His neighbour, Hedwig, a snowy owl started screeching.

Harry woke with a start, and the twins groaned, knowing what was to come the following morning.

Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive. Mr. Vernon Dursley had been woken in the early hours of the morning by the loud, hooting and screeching noise from his niece and nephew's room.

"Third time this week!" he roared across the table. "If you two can't control those bloody birds, they'll have to go!"

Harry and Selena tried, yet again, to explain.

"They're bored," Harry said.

"They're used to flying around outside. If we could just let them out at night –" Selena said.

"Do I look stupid?" snarled Uncle Vernon, a bit if fried egg dangling from his bushy moustache. "I know what'll happen if those owls are let out." He exchanged dark looks with his wife, Petunia.

Selena was about to argue back but her words were drowned by a long, loud belch from the Dursleys' son, Dudley.

"I want more bacon."

"There's more in the frying pan, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia, turning misty eyes on her massive son. "We must build you up while we've got the chance…I don't like the sound of that school food…"

"Nonsense, Petunia, I never went hungry when I was at Smeltings," said Uncle Vernon heartily. "Dudley gets enough, don't you, son?"

Selena looked over at Harry with a disgusted look that said: "More than enough,"

Dudley was so large his bottom drooped over either side of the kitchen chair, grinned and turned to Harry.

"Pass the frying pan."

"You've forgotten the magic word," said Harry irritably.

The effect of this simple sentence on the rest of the family was incredible: Dudley gasped and fell off his chair with a crash that shook the whole kitchen; Mrs. Dursley gave a small scream and clapped her hands to her mouth; Mr. Dursley jumped to his feet, veins throbbing in his temples. Selena looked over at Harry and hissed. "Idiot!"

"I meant 'please'!" said Harry quickly. "I didn't mean –"

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU," thundered their uncle, spraying spit all over the table, "ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?"

"But I –"

"HOW DARE YOU THREATEN DUDLEY!" roared Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his fist.

Selena stepped in. "He didn't threaten any –"

"I WARNED YOU! I WILL NOT TOLERATE MENTION OF YOU AND YOUR STUPID SISTER'S ABNORMALITY'S UNDER THIS ROOF!"

Harry and Selena stared from their purple faced uncle to their pale aunt, who was trying to heave Dudley to his feet.

"All right," they said, "all right…"

Uncle Vernon sat back down, breathing like a winded rhinoceros and watching Harry and Selena closely out of the corners of his small, sharp eyes.

Ever since Harry and Selena had come home for the summer holidays, Uncle Vernon had been treating them like a bomb that was about to go off at any moment, because Harry Potter and Selena Potter weren't normal children. As a matter of fact, they were as not normal as it is possible to be.

Harry Potter and Selena Potter were a witch and wizard – a witch and wizard fresh from their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. And if the Dursleys were unhappy to have them back for the holidays, it was nothing to how Harry and Selena felt.

They missed Hogwarts so much it was like having a constant stomach ache. They missed the castle, with its secret passageways and ghosts, their classes (though Harry despised Potions, because of Snape, the Potions Master), the mail arriving by owl, eating banquets in the Great hall, sleeping in their four-poster bed in the tower dormitories, visiting the gamekeeper, Hagrid, in his cabin next to the Forbidden Forest in the grounds, and, especially, Quidditch, the most popular sport in the wizarding world (six tall goal posts, four flying balls, and fourteen players on broomsticks).

All Harry and Selena's spell-books, their wands, robes, cauldrons, Harry's top of the line Nimbus Two Thousand broomstick had been locked in the cupboard under the stairs by Uncle Vernon in instant they had walked in the door. What did the Dursleys care if Harry lost his place on the House Quidditch Team because he hadn't practiced all summer? What was it to the Dursleys if they went back to school without any of their homework done? The Dursleys were what wizard called Muggles (not a drop of magical blood in their veins), and as far as they were concerned, having a wizard _and_ a witch in the family was a matter of deepest shame. Uncle Vernon had even locked Harry and Selena's owls, Hedwig and Elvis, inside their cages, to stop them from carrying messages to anyone in the wizarding world. Just their luck, he had used combination locks, so Selena couldn't use her powers to unlock the cages and free them.

That was something that made Selena stranger than her brother. Selena was a telekinetic, meaning she had the rare ability to move objects with the force of her mind, no magic required. She spent every evening practicing her powers in her room, by making some of Dudley's old broken bits of junk levitate in the air, though it was only at night, because her abilities were best to be kept secret from her Aunt and Uncle.

Luckily, Selena managed to sneak a few Wizarding World objects by hiding them at the bottom of her trunk. Those objects were: her lyre, her diary and her necklace. It was this necklace that left a more powerful ache inside her. There was not a day that went by where she did not wear it. It was a beautiful necklace, of a golden lion and a silver snake with emeralds and rubies for eyes respectively. It was given to her by her friend, Draco Malfoy, who she also had something of a crush on. It was he that she missed more than Hogwarts. She missed his blue-grey eyes, his platinum blonde hair that was always slicked back, his smirk that drove her crazy and his voice. Harry on the other hand, couldn't know anything about her feelings for Draco. Harry and Draco got along as well as cats and dogs did. They were arch rivals to the core. But even so, Selena couldn't wait to see Draco again. It felt like it had been years since she'd seen him, not a few weeks.

Harry and Selena looked nothing like the rest of the family. Uncle Vernon was large and neckless, with an enormous black moustache; Aunt Petunia was horse faced and bony; Dudley was blond, pink and porky. Harry and Selena on the other hand, were small and skinny, with brilliant green eyes. They may have been twins, but they weren't identical. Harry's hair was jet black and always untidy and he wore round glasses. Selena's hair was long, wavy and dark red, like a burning ember. She would only wear her hair in two styles, one; down, in long silky waves that flowed around her heart shaped face elegantly, two; in an elegant low ponytail, tied up in a bright green ribbon, done into a bow. One thing the twins had that was identical, aside from their eyes, was on their foreheads was a thin, lightning shaped scar.

It was these scars that made Harry and Selena particularly unusual, even for a witch and wizard. These scars were the only hint of the twin's mysterious past, or the reason they had been left on the Dursleys doorstep eleven years before.

At the age of one, Harry and Selena had somehow survived a curse from the greatest Dark sorcerer of all time, Lord Voldemort, whose name most witches and wizards still feared to speak. Harry and Selena's parents had died in the attack, but the twins somehow escaped with their lightning scars, and somehow – nobody understood why Voldemort's powers had been destroyed the instant he failed to kill Harry and Selena.

So, Harry and Selena had been brought up by their dead mother's sister and her husband. They had spent ten years with the Dursleys, never understanding why they kept making odd things happen without meaning to, believing the Dursleys' story that they got their scars in the car crash that killed their parents.

And then, exactly a year ago, Hogwarts had written to them, and the whole story had come out. Harry and Selena had taken up their places at wizard school, where they and their scars were famous…but now the school year was over, and they were back with the Dursleys for the summer, back to being treated like dogs that had rolled in something smelly.

The Dursleys hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry and Selena's twelfth birthday. Of course, their hopes hadn't been high; they'd never given them a real present, let alone a cake – but the twins could always rely on one another for birthdays. Selena had sewn together Harry a T-shirt with the letters: 1# Twin Brother, written in gold but she wanted to wait until later to give it to him.

When Selena wasn't practicing her telekinesis or doing chores, she would be sewing together new clothes for herself and Harry or playing her lyre in the sunshine. Still, what else did she have to do to pass the time. The quicker the days flew by, the sooner she'd be back at Hogwarts and the sooner she got back to Hogwarts, the sooner she'd see Draco again.

At that moment, Uncle Vernon cleared his throat importantly and said, "Now, as we all know, today is a very important day."

Harry and Selena looked up, hardly daring to believe it.

"This could well be the day I make the biggest deal of my career," said Uncle Vernon.

Harry and Selena went back to their toast. Of course, they thought bitterly, Uncle Vernon was talking about the stupid dinner party. He'd been talking of nothing else for two weeks. Some rich builder and his wife were coming to dinner and Uncle Vernon was hoping to get a huge order from him.

"I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia, you will be –?"

"In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."

"Good, good. And Dudley?"

"I'll be waiting to open the door." Dudley put on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

"They'll love him!" cried Aunt Petunia rapturously.

"Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon. Then he rounded on the twins. "And you two?"

"We'll be in our bedroom, making no noise and pretending we're not there," said the twins tonelessly.

"Exactly," said Uncle Vernon nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight-fifteen –"

"I'll announce dinner," said Aunt Petunia.

"And, Dudley, you'll say –"

"May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs. Mason?" said Dudley, offering his fat arm to an invisible woman.

"My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia.

"And you two?" said Uncle Vernon viciously to Harry and Selena.

"We'll be in our room, making no noise and pretending we're not there," they said dully.

"Precisely. Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?"

"Vernon tells me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr. Mason… Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs. Mason…"

"Perfect… Dudley?'

"How about: 'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr. Mason, and I wrote about you.'"

This was too much for Aunt Petunia, Harry and Selena. Aunt Petunia burst into tears and hugged her son, while Harry and Selena ducked under the table so they couldn't see them laughing and gagging.

"And you two?"

Harry and Selena fought to keep a straight face as they emerged. "We'll be in our bedroom, making no noise and pretending we're not there," they said.

"Too right, you will," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you two and it's going to stay that way. When dinner's over, you take Mrs. Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia, and I'll bring the subject around to drills. With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the News at Ten. We'll be shopping for a holiday home in Majorca this time tomorrow."

Harry and Selena looked at each other. They knew they shouldn't feel too excited about this. Neither of them thought the Dursleys would like them any better in Majorca than they did on Privet Drive.

"Right – I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me. And you two," he snarled at Harry and Selena. "You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."

Harry and Selena left through the back door. It was a brilliant, sunny day. They crossed the lawn, slumped down on the garden bench, and Harry sang under his breath:

"Happy birthday to me…happy birthday to me…"

Selena put a hand on his shoulder. "Cheer up Harry, I didn't forget your birthday."

"That's because it's your birthday too."

"I know," Selena said, trying to think of something to cheer her brother up. "Harry, I know you miss Hogwarts, I do too, but it's not good in sulking about it. Why don't I sing, would that make you feel better?"

Harry gave her a weak smile. "Sure,"

Selena grinned and walked onto the lawn and started to sing and twirl to the melody of her voice. Harry's smile grew wider as he watched his sister do a pirouette, listening to her angelic voice. It was sweet that she was doing this for him, but the pain of loneliness was unbearable.

Selena sensed this and stopped singing and walked back over to the bench – sitting down with him. She wrapped her arms around Harry, hugging him. Harry hugged her back. "Harry, we have but only a few more weeks and then we'll be back at Hogwarts, brewing Potions, playing Quidditch and going on amazing adventures."

"We're still going to be spending our birthday pretending we don't exist." said Harry glumly.

"Well…yeah, but we need to think on the positive side of things."

"Don't sugar coat it Selena, I know you miss them too."

Selena sighed heavily. "Yeah, I do…"

It was worse than having no cards, no presents, and spending their birthday pretending they weren't real. It was something they missed more than Hogwarts, more than Quidditch, Harry and Selena missed their friends, specifically their best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Selena also missed her three dorm mates; Adeline Knotley, Odessa Digby and Vanessa Shadowmend. Then there was Evangeline "Evan" Barkridge, Vanessa's cousin and Asha Grail, a mutual friend Selena met through Vanessa.

All of them, however, didn't seem to be missing them at all. None of them had written to them all summer, even though Ron had said he was going to ask them to come and stay, and Vanessa had asked Selena to a sleepover with Evan during the holidays.

Countless times, Selena had been observing her uncle for any clue to the combination to unlock Hedwig and Elvis's cages. She could unlock stuff with telekinesis, but she needed the code to make it possible. Harry had been on the point of unlocking the cages by magic and sending either Hedwig or Elvis to someone with a letter, but they both knew it wasn't worth the risk.

Underage wizards and witches weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Neither of them had told the Dursleys this; they knew it was only their terror that they might turn them all into dung beetles that stopped them from locking them up in the cupboard under the stairs with their wands and Harry's broomstick. For the first couple of weeks back, the twins had enjoyed muttering nonsense words under their breaths and watching Dudley tear out of the room as fast as his fat legs would carry him. But the long silence from their friends had made the twins feel so cut off from the magical world that even taunting Dudley had lost its appeal – and now their friends had forgotten their birthday.

What wouldn't they give now for a message from Hogwarts? From any witch or wizard? Selena would almost be glad of a sight of her archenemy, Veronica Blackwood (a Muggle-born and Champion of many Beauty Pageants), just to prove it wasn't a dream…

Not that their whole year at Hogwarts had been fun. At the very end of last term, Harry and Selena had come face to face with none other than Lord Voldemort himself. Voldemort might be a ruin of his former self, but he was still terrifying, still cunning, still determined to regain power. Harry and Selena had slipped through Voldemort's clutches for a second time, but it had been a narrow escape, and even now, weeks later, they kept waking up in the night, drenched in cold sweat, wondering where Voldemort was now, remembering his livid face, his wide, mad eyes –

Then they saw it. "Harry," Selena gasped, pointing at the hedge. "look there!"

Harry looked and almost fell off the bench. The hedge was staring back at them. Two enormous green eyes had appeared among the leaves.

The twins jumped to their feet just as a jeering voice floated across the lawn.

"I know what day it is," sang Dudley, waddling toward them.

The huge eyes blinked and vanished.

"What?" said Harry, not taking his eyes off the spot where they had been.

"I know what day it is," Dudley repeated, coming right up to them.

"Congratulations," said Selena, her eyes fixed on the hedge. "So, you finally learned the days of the week. Want a medal?"

"Today's your birthday," sneered Dudley. "How come you haven't got any cards? Haven't you two got friends at that freak place?"

"Better not let your mum hear you talking about our school," said Harry coolly.

"Although you would make a good mascot, pity you lost that tail." Selena smirked.

Dudley flinched, gritting his teeth. He hitched up his trousers, which were slipping down his fat bottom.

"Why are you two staring at the hedge?" he said suspiciously.

"We were discussing on what would be the right spell to set it on fire," said Harry,

Dudley stumbled backward at once, a look of panic on his fat face.

"You c-can't – Dad told you you're not to do m-magic – he said he'll chuck you two out of the house – and you haven't got anywhere else to go – you haven't got any friends to take you –"

"Jiggery pokery!" said Harry in a fierce voice.

"Hocus pocus!" said Selena.

"Squiggly wiggly –"

"MUUUUUUM!" howled Dudley, tripping over his feet as he dashed back toward the house. "MUUUUM! They're doing you know what!"

Harry and Selena paid dearly for this moment of fun. As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew they hadn't really done magic, but they still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at their heads with the soapy frying pan. Then she gave work to do, with the promise neither of them would eat again until they'd finished.

While Dudley lolled around, eating ice cream, Harry and Selena cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flowerbeds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench. The sun was blazing overhead, burning the back of their necks. They knew now that they shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait, but Dudley had said the very thing the twins had been thinking themselves…maybe they didn't have any friends at Hogwarts…

No… Selena thought. There was no way that was the case. Draco broke his own houses stereotype by befriending her and helping her with her powers. He even gave her that necklace at the end of term. Why would he go that far if he never considered her a friend?

"Wish they could see the famous Potter Twins now," Harry said savagely as he spread manure on the flower beds, his back aching, sweat running down his face.

Selena sighed heavily as she watered the roses. "Think positive, Harry, think positive and we'll be at Hogwarts in no time."

Harry looked up from the flowerbed. "You make it sound like your living a Cinderella fairytale?"

"We both are, and we both know that magic does exist?"

"But those books you read are just fiction, they're not real."

Selena turned her head around like a deer in headlights and aimed the hose at Harry, spraying him with water. "Hey!" Harry shouted as Selena glared at him.

"Those books hold very important messages in them, and I stopped going on about Princes and Fairytales years ago!" she snapped.

Harry laughed. "Oh, come on, I'm not the one who used to dress up in Mrs Figgs heels and go on and on about being the Princess in a storybook."

Selena blushed. "When I was four," she reminded him.

She looked over at Harry and read his thoughts.

"Harry really? If Ron and Hermione weren't our friends, why did they go through the trapdoor with us?"

"Well…um…"

"Exactly,"

"Then why haven't they been owling us?"

"I don't know, but I know they would never ignore us. They must know that something's up, we haven't been owling them either." Selena reminded him.

It was half past seven, in the evening when at last, exhausted, they heard Aunt Petunia calling them.

"Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!"

Harry and Selena moved gladly into the shade of the gleaming kitchen. On top of the fridge stood tonight's pudding: a huge mound of whipped cream and sugared violets. A joint of roast pork was sizzling in the oven.

"Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing to two plain cheese sandwiches on the kitchen table. She was already wearing a salmon pink cocktail dress.

Harry and Selena washed their hands and bolted down their pitiful supper. The moment they'd finished, Aunt Petunia had whisked away their plates. "Upstairs! Hurry!"

As they passed the door to the living room, Harry caught a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow ties and dinner jackets. They had only just reached the upstairs landing when the doorbell rang and Uncle Vernon's furious face at the foot of the stairs.

"Remember, you two – one sound –"

The twins crossed to their bedroom on tiptoe, slipped inside, closed the door, and turned to collapse on their bed's. The trouble was, there was already someone in their room.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that right belongs to J.K Rowling


	2. Dobby's Warning

Harry and Selena managed not to shout out, but it was a close thing. The little creature sitting on Harry's bed had large, bat like ears and bulging green eyes the size of tennis balls. They knew instantly that this was what had been watching them out of the garden hedge that morning.

As they stared at each other, Harry and Selena heard Dudley's voice from the hall.

"May I take your coats, Mr. and Mrs. Mason?"

The creature slipped off the bed and bowed so low that the end of its long, thin nose touched the carpet. The twins noted that it was wearing what looked like an old pillowcase, with rips for arm and leg holes.

"Er – hello," said Harry nervously.

"Harry Potter, Selena Potter!" said the creature in a high-pitched voice they were sure would carrying down the stairs. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you… Such an honour it is…"

"Th-thank you," said Selena, as she and Harry edged along the wall and sank onto Selena's bed, next to the desk, where Hedwig and Elvis slept in their large cages. "Who are you?"

"Dobby, miss. Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf," said the creature.

"Oh – really?" said Harry, looking to Selena for support.

Selena turned to Dobby. "Look – not to be rude or anything, but this isn't a great time or place for us to have a house-elf in our bedroom."

Aunt Petunia's high, false laugh sounded from the living room. The elf hung his head.

"What Selena means is that – is there a particular reason you're here?" Harry asked.

"Oh, yes, sir," said Dobby earnestly. "Dobby has come to tell you, sir… it is difficult, sir… Dobby wonders where to begin…"

"Why don't you sit down," said Harry politely, pointing to his bed.

To their horror, the elf burst into tears – very noisy tears.

"S-sit down!" he wailed. "Never…never ever…"

Selena bit her nails, looking back at the door, thinking she heard the voices downstairs falter.

Harry was trying to get Dobby to stop crying.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't mean to offend you or anything."

"Offend Dobby!" choked the elf. "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard – like an equal –"

Selena was trying to say "Shh!" and look comforting at the same time, ushered Dobby back onto Harry's bed where he sat hiccoughing, looking like a large and very ugly doll, where Selena kindly dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief. At last he managed to control himself, and sat with his great eyes fixed on Harry and Selena in an expression of watery adoration.

"You can't have met many decent wizards then," said Selena, trying to cheer him up.

Dobby shook his head. Then, without warning, he leapt up and started banging his furiously on the window, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"

Selena gave a strangled yelp and yanked Dobby away from the window and back onto the bed. "Don't – what are you doing?" she hissed. Hedwig and Elvis had woken up with particularly loud screeches and were beating their wings wildly against the bars of their cages. Harry rushed over to hush them up.

"Dobby had to punish himself, miss," said the elf, who had gone slightly cross eyed.

Selena shook her head. "No, you didn't, Dobby. You didn't have to punish yourself."

"Oh but Dobby did, miss, Dobby almost spoke ill of his family, miss…"

"Your family?" the twins asked.

"The wizard family Dobby serves… Dobby's is a house-elf – bound to serve one house and one family forever…"

Selena frowned. "That's not a family, that's _slavery_."

"Do they know you're here?" asked Harry curiously.

Dobby shuddered. "Oh, no, sir, no… Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you, sir, miss. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew, sir –"

"But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"

"Dobby doubts it, sir. Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They let Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they remind me do extra punishments…"

Selena was horrified and she felt sorry for Dobby. "Why don't you leave? Escape?"

"A house-elf must be set free, miss. And the family will never set Dobby free… Dobby will serve the family until he dies, miss…"

Harry and Selena stared. "And we thought we had it bad staying here for another four weeks," Harry said. "This makes the Dursleys sound almost human."

"Is there anything we can do to help you?" asked Selena.

Almost at once, Selena wished she hadn't spoken. Dobby dissolved again into wails of gratitude.

"Please," Selena whispered frantically, "please be quiet. If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know you're here –"

"Selena Potter asks if she can help Dobby… Dobby had heard of your greatness, miss, just as Harry Potter's greatness, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…"

Harry, who were feeling distinctly hot in the face, said, "Whatever you've heard about our greatness is a load of rubbish. We're not even top of our year at Hogwarts; that's Hermione, she –"

But he stopped quickly, because thinking about Hermione was painful.

"Harry Potter and Selena Potter are humble and modest," said Dobby reverently, his orb-like eyes aglow. "Harry Potter and Selena Potter speak not of their triumph over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Voldemort?" said the twins.

Dobby clapped his hands over his bat ears and moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, sir, miss! Speak not the name!"

"Sorry," said Harry quickly. "We know lots of people don't like it. Our friend Ron –"

He stopped again. Thinking about Ron was painful, too.

Dobby leaned toward the twins, his eyes wide as headlights.

"Dobby heard tell," he said hoarsely, "that Harry Potter and Selena Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time just weeks ago… that Harry Potter and Selena Potter escaped yet again."

The twins nodded and Dobby's eyes suddenly shone with tears.

"Ah, sir, miss," he gasped, dabbing his face with the corner of the grubby pillowcase he was wearing. "Harry Potter is brave and bold, and Selena Potter is kind and loyal! They have braved so many dangers already! But Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter and Selena Potter, to warn them, even if he does have to shut his ears in the over door later… Harry Potter and Selena Potter must not go back to Hogwarts."

There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"W-what?" Harry and Selena stammered. "But we've got to go back – term starts on September first. It's all that's keeping us going. You don't know what it's like here. We don't belong here. We belong in your world – at Hogwarts."

"No, no, no," squeaked Dobby, shaking his head so hard his ears flapped. "Harry Potter and Selena Potter must stay where they are safe. They are too great, too good, to lose. If Harry Potter and Selena Potter go back to Hogwarts, they will be in mortal danger."

"Danger?" said Selena her eyes wide.

"Why?" said Harry in surprise.

"There is a plot, Harry Potter and Selena Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over. "Dobby has known it for months, sir, miss. Harry Potter and Selena Potter must not put themselves in peril. They are too important, sir, miss!"

"What terrible things?" asked Selena at once.

"Who's plotting them?" said Harry.

Dobby made a funny choking noise and then banged his head frantically against the wall.

"Dobby – don't!" Selena hissed as she swooped him up in her arms and pulled him back.

"We get it Dobby," cried Harry, "You can't tell us. We understand. But why are you warning us?" A sudden, unpleasant thought struck them both in the stomach.

"Wait – this hasn't got anything to do with Vol – sorry – with You-Know-Who, has it?" Selena asked.

Slowly, Dobby shook his head.

"Not – not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, miss."

But Dobby's eyes were wide and he seemed to be trying to give Harry and Selena a hint. Harry, however, was completely lost.

"He hasn't got a brother, has he?"

Dobby shook his head, his eyes wider than ever.

"Well then, I can't think who else would have a chance of making horrible things happen at Hogwarts," said Harry, turning to Selena. "what do you think Selena?"

Selena shrugged. "I mean, there's Dumbledore, for one thing – you know who Dumbledore is, don't you?"

Dobby bowed his head.

"Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had. Dobby knows it, miss. Dobby has heard Dumbledore's powers rival those of He-Who-Not-Be-Named at the height of his strength. But, miss" – Dobby's voice dropped to an urgent whisper – "there are powers Dumbledore doesn't… powers no decent wizard or witch…"

And before Selena could stop him, Dobby bounded off the bed, seized the lamp from the top of the drawers, and started beating himself around the head with ear-splitting yelps.

A sudden silence fell downstairs. Two seconds later Harry and Selena, hearts thudding madly, heard Uncle Vernon coming into the hall, calling, "Dudley must have left his television on again, the little tyke!"

"Quick! In the closet!" hissed Harry, stuffing Dobby in, shutting the door. Harry and Selena flung themselves onto their beds and Selena picked up a random book and flipped it open, just as the door handle turned.

"What – the – devil – are – you – two – doing?" said Uncle Vernon through gritted teeth. "You two, have just ruined the punch line of my Japanese golfer joke… One more sound and you'll wish you two'd never been born!"

He stomped flat footed from the room.

Shaking, Harry let Dobby out of the closet while Selena set the book on her bed, before walking over to Harry and Dobby.

"See what it's like here?" she said. "See why we've got to go back to Hogwarts? It's the only place we've got – well, I think we've got friends."

"Friends who don't even write to Harry Potter and Selena Potter?" said Dobby slyly.

"Well I expect they've just been – wait a minute," said Harry, frowning.

Selena frowned too. "How do you know our friends haven't been writing to us?"

Dobby shuffled his feet.

"Harry Potter and Selena Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby. Dobby did it for the best –"

"Have you been stopping our letters?"

"Dobby has them here, miss," said the elf. Stepping nimbly out of the twins reach, he pulled a thick wad of envelopes from the inside of the pillowcase he was wearing. Harry and Selena could make out Hermione's neat writing, Ron's untidy scrawl, a few letters from Adeline, Odessa, Vanessa, Evan and Asha, Hagrid's messy scribble and Selena could faintly recognise the Draco's fancy handwriting.

Dobby blinked anxiously up at Harry and Selena.

"Harry Potter and Selena Potter mustn't be angry… Dobby hoped… if Harry Potter and Selena Potter thought their friends had forgotten them… Harry Potter and Selena Potter might not want to go back to school, sir, miss…"

"You little –" Selena hissed, ready to grab at the elf, but Harry held her back.

Dobby jumped out of reach.

"The Potter Twins shall have them, sir, miss, if they give Dobby their word that they will not return to Hogwarts. Ah, sir, miss, this is a danger you two must not face! Say you won't go back, sir, miss!"

"No," said Harry angrily.

"We can't, Hogwarts is our home!" Selena growled.

"Give us those – _now_!" they snarled.

"NO!" Dobby shouted, stuffing the letters back in the pillowcase.

Before the twins could move and before Selena could use telekinesis, Dobby had darted to the bedroom door, pulled it open, and sprinted down the stairs.

Mouths dry, stomachs lurching, Harry and Selena sprang after him, trying not to make a sound. Harry jumped the last six steps, landing catlike on the hall carpet, while Selena slid down the banister, looking around for Dobby. From the dining room they heard Uncle Vernon saying, "…tell Petunia that very funny story about those American plumbers, Mr. Mason. She's been dying to hear…" Harry and Selena ran up the hall into the kitchen and felt their stomachs disappear.

Aunt Petunia's masterpiece of a pudding, the mountain of cream and sugared violets, was floating up near the ceiling. On top of a cupboard in the corner crouched Dobby.

"No," croaked Harry.

"Please… they'll kill us…" Selena whimpered, eyes fixed on the pudding, ready to catch it before it fell.

"Harry Potter and Selena Potter must say they're not going back to school –"

"Dobby… please…"

"Say it, sir, miss…"

"We can't –"

Dobby gave them a tragic look.

"Then Dobby must do it, sir, miss, for Harry Potter and Selena Potter's own good."

There was a crack of a whip, Dobby vanished and the pudding dropped. Selena let out a gasp and caught the pudding seconds before it landing on the floor. She hurried over and took the pudding in her hands. There was noise from the dining room and Selena and Harry's hearts shrank. It turned out that Selena's gasp must've been louder than she had intended. In seconds, Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Dudley and the Masons burst into the kitchen to find the twins, rigid with shock, Selena holding the violet pudding.

Mr. Mason was the first to talk. He turned to Uncle Vernon. "Who in earth are these two?"

Uncle Vernon had gone red to purple to green in the face faster than a set of traffic lights. "Just our niece and nephew," he brushed over, giving the twins looks of pure hatred.

"You never mentioned you had a niece or nephew," Mr Mason said.

"What happened in here?" Aunt Petunia cried, noticing the pudding in Selena's hands.

Selena decided to gloss things over with a white lie. "We were coming down for a drink of water, then I saw the pudding fall, I just managed to save it." she explained, setting the pudding on the counter.

Harry stared at Selena, marvelling at how calm she was sounded, nodded his head, playing along.

Mrs. Mason turned to Uncle Vernon. "Have they been upstairs this whole evening?"

Uncle Vernon stammered. "T-they're both mentally disturbed, so we kept them upstairs…" he lied.

Selena shot her uncle a look of malice.

"They don't look mentally disturbed to me?" Mr. Mason said, not noticing the fire in Selena's eyes.

Selena shuffled her feet. "We're very sorry to bother you're evening, Mr and Mrs Mason."

Mr. Mason cleared his throat. "Quite alright, Miss…"

"Potter, Selena Potter sir…"

"And I'm Harry," said Harry, thought it probably sounded more like a strangled cough than a sentence.

"Well then… Harry and Selena, it's quite alright. Neither of you did anything wrong."

"I think it's time these two went to bed," Uncle Vernon said, walking over and placing a hand on the twin's shoulders. Harry and Selena flinched at the pressure on their shoulders but did their best to hide it.

"Nonsense, surely they can stay for another minute." said Mrs. Mason.

"B-But they…" Uncle Vernon stammered, his face now the colour of old porridge.

"I insist, they seem like delightful children." Mrs. Mason said.

Selena and Harry looked at each other, mixed emotions, wondering if they were dreaming or not.

"Yes…" Aunt Petunia said through pursed lips. " _delightful_ indeed…"

The evening went on as planned, the twins had to politely decline to join them for pudding as the looks on their Aunt and Uncle's faces were terrifying, but they agreed to join them after dinner. 20 minutes later, the twins found themselves in the living room, awkwardly sitting on the couch as their Aunt and Uncle glared at them.

Selena had just finished singing _I Dreamed a Dream_ from the musical _Les Miserable_ and Mrs. Mason was in tears ("How did you learn to sing so beautifully?") and Mr. Mason was staring at the twelve-year-old girl in stunned surprise.

Harry and Selena finally looked at each other and smiled, thinking they had saved the evening and their skins.

Uncle Vernon might still have been able to make his deal, were it not for the owl.

Aunt Petunia was just passing around a box of mints when a huge barn owl swooped through the dining room window, dropped a letter on the coffee table, and swooped out again. Mrs. Mason screamed like a banshee and ran from the house in terror. Mr. Mason stayed just long enough to tell the Dursleys that his wife was mortally afraid of birds of all shapes and sizes and left without signing the document.

The twins stood in the living room, clutching the sofa for support, as Uncle Vernon advanced on him, a demonic glint in his tiny eyes.

"Read it!" he hissed evilly, brandishing the letter the owl had delivered. "Go on – read it!"

Harry took it. It did not contain birthday greetings.

Dear Mr and Miss Potter,

We received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.

As you know, underage wizards and witches are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree of the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic, 1875, Paragraph C).

We would also like you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.

Enjoy your holidays!

Yours sincerely,

Malfalda Hopkirk

IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

Ministry of Magic

The twins looked up from the letter and gulped.

"You didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," said Uncle Vernon, a mad gleam dancing in his eyes. "Forgot to mention it… Slipped your minds, I daresay…"

He was bearing down on the twins like a great bulldog, all his teeth bared. "Well, I've got news for you two… I'm locking you both up… You're never going back to that school… never… and if you try and magic yourselves out – they'll expel you!"

And laughing like a maniac, he dragged Harry and Selena back upstairs.

Uncle Vernon was as bad as his word, possibly worse. The following morning, he paid a man to fit bars on Harry and Selena's window. He himself fitted a cat-flap in the bedroom door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let the twins out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, they were locked in their room around the clock.

Selena was heartbroken. All her positive words about returning to Hogwarts when summer ended had been chewed up, stomped on, thrown out the window and flushed down the loo. The first night, she lay awake in her bed, sobbing softly and agonisingly into her pillow. She sat up and held the necklace Draco had given her in her cupped hands. This only made her cry harder. She was never going to see him again. Never hear his voice. Never feel the softness of his lips against her knuckles. She prayed that he would figure out that something had happened to her and he would send Snape or Dumbledore to come get her or come here himself.

Three days later, the Dursleys were showing no sign of relenting, and the twins couldn't see any way out of their situation. They lay on their beds watching the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered miserably what was going to happen to them.

What was the good of magicking himself out of their room if Hogwarts would expel them for doing it? Yet life in Privet Drive had reached an all-time low. Now that the Dursleys knew they weren't going to wake up as fruit bats, they had lost their only weapon. Selena didn't have the strength to unlock the door using telekinesis. Dobby might have saved them from horrible happenings at Hogwarts, but the way things were going, they'd probably starve to death anyway.

The cat flap rattled and Aunt Petunias hand appeared, pushing two bowls of canned soup into the room. The twins, whose insides were aching with hunger, jumped off their beds and seized a bowl each. The soup was stone-cold, but they drank half of the soup in one gulp. Then they crossed the room to Hedwig's cage and tipped the soggy vegetables at the bottom of the bowl into their empty food trays. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and gave Harry a look of deep disgust. Elvis gave Selena a sort of owl frown. "It's no good turning your beaks up at it, it's all we've got." said Harry grimly.

Selena sighed, sticking her fingers through the bars of the cage, stroking Elvis's feathers. "I'm sorry boy, but what else do we have?"

Harry put their empty bowls back on the floor next to the cat flap and he and Selena lay down on their beds, somehow hungrier than they had been before the soup.

"Harry?" Selena murmured.

"Hmm…"

"Suppose we're still alive in four weeks, do you think Dumbledore'll notice that we're not at Hogwarts? Maybe he'll send Hagrid to come get us, it's not like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia can stand up to Hagrid, I mean… look what happened last time."

"I hope so Selena, I hope so indeed," said Harry. What they would give for the Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid to come knocking on the door. Last year, before they found out that they were magical, Hagrid had shown up himself to deliver their acceptance letters in person. Hagrid also terrified the Dursleys and gave Dudley a pig's tail when he lost his temper after Uncle Vernon had insulted Dumbledore. Would he be able to make the Dursleys let them go a second time?

The room was growing dark. Exhausted, stomachs rumbling, minds spinning over the same unanswerable questions, Harry and Selena fell into an uneasy sleep.

It wasn't clear to them how long they had been sleeping when they suddenly heard the sound of rattling at the bars. "Stop it," Harry muttered as the rattling continued.

"Leave us alone… cut it out… we're trying to sleep…" Selena murmured.

They then opened their eyes. Moonlight was shining through the bars on the window. And someone was goggling at them through the bars: a freckle-faced, red haired, long nosed someone.

Ron Weasley was outside Harry and Selena's window.


	3. The Burrow

"Ron," breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars.

"Ron!" Selena whispered, "Boy are we glad to see you? How did you –? What the –?"

Harry and Selena's mouths fell open as the full impact of what they were seeing hit them like a Bludger. Ron was leaning out of the back window of an old turquoise car, which was parked in mid-air. Grinning at Harry from the front seats were Fred and George, Ron's elder twin brothers.

"All right, Harry, Selena?" asked George.

"What's been going on with you two?" said Ron.

"Yeah, you missed out on a great sleepover, Selena," said a voice that wasn't Ron's, Fred's or George's. Two brunette girls poked their heads out of the car window next to Ron. Selena gasped at the sight of them.

"Vanessa! Evan!" she cried, wanting to hug them both, but the bars prevented her from reaching them.

"Why haven't you been answering our letters?" said Ron. "Harry, I've asked you to stay twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles –"

"It wasn't us – and how did he know?" said Harry.

"He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You two know we're not supposed to do spells outside school –"

"Bit rich coming from you," Selena said, staring at the floating car.

"Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowed this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with –"

"I told you, we didn't – but it'll take too long to explain now – look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked us up and won't let us come back, and obviously we can't magic ourselves out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell we've done in three days, so – what's so funny Evan?"

Evan was laughing to herself. "Oh, Harry you really are daft? Why do you think we're here?"

"We're busting you two out!" said Vanessa with a huge smile on her face.

"But you can't magic us out either –"

"We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who we've got with us."

"Tie that around the bars," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Harry.

"If the Dursleys wake up, we're all dead," said Harry as he tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car.

"Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."

Harry and Selena moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig and Elvis, who seemed to have realized how important this was and kept still and silent. The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a loud crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air. Harry and Selena ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Panting, Evan and Vanessa were hoisting the rope into the car, while Vanessa went about using a simple pocket knife to cut the bars off the rope. The bars fell and landed with a metallic clatter on the garden path. Harry and Selena listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys bedroom.

When the rope with safety in the back seat with Ron and the girls, Fred reversed as close and possible to the window. Ron popped open the back door. "Get in," Ron said.

"But all our stuff – our wands – Harry's broomstick –"

"Where are they?"

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, it's a combination lock too."

"No problem," said Evan from the back seat. "We came prepared – right Ness?"

Vanessa nodded. "Definitely, out of the way, you two."

Evan and Vanessa climbed cat like through the window into Harry and Selena's room. Selena hugged Evan while Vanessa presented a lumpy handbag and fumbled through it.

Vanessa turned back to the twins, still holding the pocket knife. "What kind of lock is on the door?"

Selena and Harry shrugged. "I think it's one with a latch," said Harry.

"Say no more," Vanessa then stuck the pocket knife between the crack in the door and began to fiddle with the lock. "A lot of witches and wizards think this is a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick, but growing up around a Muggle or two, you learn their tricks are worth learning, even if they take longer."

The lock clicked and the door swung open.

"So – Evan and I'll get your trunks – you two grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered Vanessa.

Selena pulled the cousin's back. "You guys need the combination for the lock downstairs though."

Evan and Vanessa shook their heads. "Nah, we figured those jerks had done something, so we brought this," Vanessa reached into the handbag and pulled out a pair of plain bolt cutters, blades thick and recently sharpened.

"Where did you get those?" Selena asked in a whisper.

"Nicked 'em from our Grandfather's shed, figured we'd bring them encase we needed to break something,"

The girls then disappeared onto the dark landing.

"Be careful of the bottom stair – it creaks," Harry whispered.

The twins then dashed around the room, collecting their things and passing them out of the window to Ron.

They heard a metallic crack and small thump on the carpet from downstairs, followed by the sound of the girls heaving the heavy trunks up the stairs. Harry and Selena went to help Vanessa and Evan heave the trunks up the rest of the way up. Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.

At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through the room to the open window. Fred popped the boot open and George climbed out of the car to help push the trunks into the car, through the window.

Uncle Vernon coughed again.

"A bit more," panted George. "One good push –"

They threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into back of the car.

"Okay, let's go," Fred whispered as Vanessa, Evan and George clambered into the car.

But as Harry and Selena climbed onto the windowsill there came a sudden loud screech from behind them, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice.

"THOSE RUDDY OWL'S!"

"We've forgotten Hedwig and Elvis!"

They tore back across the room as the landing light clicked on – they snatched up the cages, dashed to the window, and passed them out to Ron. They were scrambling back onto the chest of drawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door and it crashed open.

For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway; then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Selena, grabbing him by the ankle.

Harry, Ron, Evan, and Vanessa seized Selena's arms and pulled as hard as they could as Selena kicked at the large man.

"Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "They're getting away! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!"

"Let go of me!" Selena cried as she struggled.

"No know you don't, girl, you and your bloody brother are not going anywhere!"

"Get off me!"

"Drive Fred! Drive!" Evan shouted.

Fred slammed his foot on the pedal and the car revved up again. Selena's leg slid out of Uncle Vernon's grasp – Selena was in the car – Harry slammed the door shut.

The car suddenly shot towards the moon.

Harry and Selena couldn't believe it – they were free. Selena rolled down the window, she and Harry stuck their heads out the window, the night air whipping their hair, and looked back at the shrinking rooftops of privet Drive. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of the twins window.

"See you next summer!" they yelled, moving back.

Evan stuck her head out of the window, gave the Dursleys the finger, shouting: "Eat our wands, Muggles!"

The Weasleys roared with laughter and they settled back in their seats, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let Hedwig and Elvis out," Harry told Vanessa. "They can fly behind us. They haven't had a chance to stretch their wings for ages."

Evan handed Vanessa the bolt cutters and, a moment later, Hedwig and Elvis soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like ghosts.

"So – what's the story, guys?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"

Harry and Selena told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given them and the fiasco at the dinner party. There was a long, shocked silence when they had finished.

"Very fishy," said Fred finally.

"Definitely dodgy," agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"

"I don't think he could," said Harry. "We told you, every time he close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."

Harry and Selena saw Fred and George look at each other and Evan giving Vanessa an odd look.

"What? You think he was lying to us?" said Selena.

"Well," said Fred, "put it this way – house elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"

"Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me."

Selena just sat there, ringing her hands together in anger. Dobby's warning had been for both of them, and Draco had been writing to her in the summer, likely wanting to talk to her. It didn't make sense to her, Draco was her friend.

He said so himself, she thought, playing with the necklace he gave her.

"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry. "Why?"

"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."

Evan nodded. "I heard that too, my Dad was talking with Vanessa's and he said the same thing."

"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at the twins, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung – Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

"Hey, isn't Draco your friend Selena?" George asked.

Selena looked up and nodded. "Yeah," she said in a quiet voice.

"Unfortunately," Ron muttered.

"So what if Selena's friends with Malfoy, maybe Draco's different than his father." Said Vanessa.

"Not likely, the boy's been around the wrong sort all his life, did Draco not tell you?" said George in a mocking tone.

Selena glared at the back of George's head. "No, he didn't… but that's no reason to label him as a future master of evil."

Vanessa and Evan nodded their heads slowly. "She's right you know, boys. Do we label you gingers as soul stealers?" Vanessa said.

Ron jerked his head around, red in the face. "Hey! That's a stereotype!"

Vanessa just smirked. "Exactly…"

Ron's eyes widened, realising what they had done. Fred and George snickered to themselves up front.

Evan poked them each on the shoulder. "That goes for you two as well,"

Selena smiled at the girls. "Thanks," she whispered.

"I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf…" said Harry finally.

"Whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.

"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house…"

"I'm glad we came when we did," said Vanessa. "I was really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters, then when you didn't respond to my invite to the sleepover, Selena; Evan and I were starting to fret."

"I don't think you've explained why or how you're here?" Selena said to Vanessa and Evan.

The cousins looked at each other awkwardly. "Well… when we heard from Ron that he hadn't been getting any reply's either, Vanessa and I snuck out last night and took our brooms to the Weasley's house, we met up with Ron, Fred and George and then we all came to get you."

Selena and Harry stared at them in shock. "So your folks don't know that you're here?"

"No, we are so gonna be barbequed when we get home." Vanessa said.

"Only if you ladies get caught," said Fred.

"At first, I thought it was Errol's fault you weren't getting my letters." Said Ron.

"Who's Errol?"

"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Hermes –"

"Who?"

"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from up front.

"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he need him."

"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room… I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge… You're driving too far west, Fred," he added, pointing at the compass on the dashboard. Fred swerved the steering wheel in the right direction.

"So, does your Dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer.

"Er, no," said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."

"What does your Dad do at the Ministry of Magic, anyway?"

"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."

"The what?"

"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare – Dad was working overtime for weeks."

"What happened?" the twins asked.

"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in hospital with sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic – it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office – and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up."

Evan laughed. "I remember that, poor Muggles, always have to be given a case of amnesia when they come across the world we live in."

"What?" Vanessa gasped. "Half an hour ago you were insulting Harry and Selena's folks,"

Evan shrugged. "Well that's different, they deserve to have sugar tongs clamped on their noses."

Harry and Selena giggled. "Agreed," said Harry, "Uncle Vernon is the worst, he's a right arsehole."

"I don't even consider Uncle Vernon our uncle anyway, he's just some jackass our aunt married and had a kid with." Said Selena. Her face suddenly screwed up and she shuddered. "Ugh, unwanted mental image."

"Yuck!" Ron said, sticking out his tongue.

Fred and George roared with laughter.

"But your dad," Harry said when the laughter died down. "this car –"

Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."

"That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes… Just as well, it's getting light…"

A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east.

Fred brought the car lower, and Harry and Selena saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.

"We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."

Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.

"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and the twins looked out for the first time at Ron's house.

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which, Harry and Selena reminded themselves, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

"It's not much," said Ron.

"Are you kidding me? Have you seen how boring Privet Drive this, this is a huge upgrade." Selena said, thinking of the sickly neatness of the Dursleys House.

They got out the car.

"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be pleased to see you all and no one need ever know we flew the car."

"Right," said Ron. "Come on, Harry, girls, I sleep at the –"

Ron had gone a nasty greenish colour, his eyes fixed on the house. The others wheeled around.

Mrs. Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a sabre-toothed tiger.

"Ah," said Fred.

"Oh, dear," said George.

Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.

"So," she said.

"Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.

"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.

All three of Mrs. Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone – could have crashed – out of my mind with worry – did you care? – never, as long as I've lived – you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy –"

"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.

"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could've died, you could've been seen, you could have lost your father his job –"

It seemed to go on for hours. Mrs. Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Vanessa and Evan, looking down in shame.

"Don't tell me that you two were involved in this as well," she hissed, still angry but not as angry as she was at her sons. Vanessa and Evan refused to look at her. Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Girls, I'd thought you'd have known better than to go with them in that car, I'm very disappointed in you girls."

Mrs. Weasley then turned to Harry and Selena, who backed away.

"I'm very pleased to see you, Harry, Selena, dears," she said. "Come in and have some breakfast."

She turned and walked back into the house and the twins, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her.

The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, and Harry and Selena sat down on the edge of their seats, looking around. They had never been in a wizard house before.

The clock on the wall opposite them had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late. Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts – It's Magic! And unless their ears were deceiving them, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."

Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons and the cousins as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know what you were thinking of," and "never would have believed it."

"I don't blame you, dears," she assured Harry and Selena, tipping eight or nine sausages each onto their plates. "Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really," (she was now adding three fried eggs onto their plates) "flying an illegal car halfway across the country – anyone could have seen you –"

She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.

"It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.

"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs Weasley snapped.

"They were starving them, Mum!" said George.

"They put bars on their window, Mrs. Weasley!" said Evan.

"And you girls!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started buttering Harry and Selena toast for them. "I'll be writing to your father Evan, he'll be worried about you and Vanessa."

"We really are sorry Mrs. Weasley,"

"Sorry or not, I can't believe you'd have been so foolish."

At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.

"Who was –?" Selena started to ask, but Ron cut her off.

"Ginny, my sister. She's been talking about Harry all summer."

"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all seven plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.

"Blimey, I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and –"

"Oh no you don't – you will do no such thing," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again –"

"Oh Mum –"

"And you," she said, glaring at Ron, Fred, Vanessa and Evan. "You two can go up to bed, dears," she added to Harry and Selena. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car –"

But Harry and Selena, who felt wide awake, said quickly, "We'll help too. We've never seen a de-gnoming –"

"That's very sweet of you, dears, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject –"

And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George groaned.

"Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden –"

Harry and Selena looked at the cover of Mrs. Weasley's book. Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests. There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. As always in the wizarding world, the photograph was moving; the wizard, who the twins immediately assumed was Gilderoy Lockhart, kept winking cheekily up at them all. Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him.

"Oh, he is marvellous," she said. "Knows his household pests, all right, it's a wonderful book…"

"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.

"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink.

Evan sniggered up her breath. "Should we give you and Mr. Lockhart some privacy, Mrs. Weasley?"

Mrs Weasley was now bright red, a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "All right, if you lot think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."

Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys, Vanessa and Evan slouched outside with Harry and Selena behind them. The garden was large, and in the Potter's eyes, exactly what a garden should be. The Dursleys wouldn't have liked it – there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, plants Harry and Selena had never seen spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs.

"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry told Ron as they crossed the lawn.

"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Ron, bent double with his head in a peony bush, "like fat little Father Christmases with fishing rods…"

There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Ron straightened up. "This is a gnome," he said grimly.

"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.

It was certainly nothing like Father Christmas. It was small and leathery looking, with a large, knobby, bald head exactly like a potato. Ron held it at arm's length as it kicked out at him with its horny little feet; he grasped it around the ankles and turned it upside down.

"This is what you have to do," he said. He raised the gnome above his head and started to swing it in great circles like a lasso. Seeing the shocked looks of Harry and Selena's faces, Ron added, "It doesn't hurt them – you've just got to make them really dizzy so they can't find their way back to the gnome-holes."

He let go of the gnome's ankles: It flew twenty feet into the air and landed with a thud in the field over the hedge.

"Pitiful," said Fred. "I bet I can get mine beyond that stump."

Harry and Selena were quick to learn not to feel too sorry for the gnomes. Harry had decided to just drop the first one he caught over the hedge, but the gnome, sensing weakness, sank its razor-sharp teeth into Harry's finger and he had a hard job shaking it off – until –

"Wow, Harry – that must've been fifty feet…"

The air was soon thick with flying gnomes.

"See, they're not too bright," said George, seizing five or six gnomes at once. "The moment they know the de-gnoming's going on, they storm up to have a look."

"You'd think they'd learn to stay away from here by now?" said Evan, diving to catch a gnome that was scurrying under the hedge.

"Are they a common nuisance in the magical world, gnomes?" Selena asked as she hovered six or seven gnomes in the air, spinning them around.

"Very and they're rather annoying. They eat your plant roots and leave these mounds of dirt that look like mole hills all over the place." Said Vanessa.

"Yeah, like that time we had that infestation, three years ago?" Evan said to Vanessa.

Vanessa laughed. "Oh yeah, we had this massive colony of gnomes on our Grandparents property, which sucked because they're both Muggles. They were everywhere. They even got into the house through the floorboards."

Soon, the crowd of gnomes in the field started walking away in a straggling line, their little shoulders hunched.

"They'll be back," said Ron as they watched the gnomes disappear into the hedge on the other side of the field. "They love it here… Dad's too soft with them; he thinks they're funny…"

Just then, the front door slammed.

"He's back!" said George. "Dad's home!"

They hurried through the garden and back into the house.

Mr. Weasley was slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes were closed. He was a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's. He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel-worn.

"What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned…"

Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed.

"Find anything, Dad?" said Fred eagerly.

"All I got were a few shrinking door keys and a biting kettle," yawned Mr. Weasley. "There was some pretty nasty stuff that wasn't in my department, though. Mortlake was taken away for questioning about some extremely odd ferrets, but that's the Committee on Experimental Charms, thank goodness…"

"Why would anyone bother making door keys shrink?" said George.

"Just Muggle-baiting," sighed Mr. Weasley. "Sell them a key that keeps shrinking to nothing so they can never find it when they need it… Of course, it's very hard to convict anyone because no Muggle would admit their key keeps shrinking – they'll insist they just keep losing it. Bless them, they'll go to any lengths to ignore magic, even if it's staring them in the face… but the things our lot have taken to enchanting, you wouldn't believe –"

"LIKE CARS, FOR INSTANCE?"

Mrs. Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife.

"C-cars, Molly, dear?"

"Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, while really he was enchanting it to make it fly."

Mr. Weasley blinked.

"Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if – er – he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth… There's a loophole in the law, you'll find… As long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't –"

"Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Harry and Selena arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!"

"Harry and Selena?" said Mr. Weasley blankly.

He looked around, saw Harry and Selena, and jumped.

"Good lord, is it Harry and Selena Potter? Very pleased to meet you – Selena I nearly thought you were Ginny for a second, Ron's told us so much about –"

"Your sons flew that enchanted car of yours to Harry and Selena's house and back last night, what's more they brought Vanessa and Evan along with them!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right? I – I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "that – that was very wrong, boys – very wrong indeed…"

"Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Harry and Selena as Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog. "Come on, I'll show you two my bedroom."

They slipped out of the kitchen and down a narrow passageway to an uneven staircase, which wound its way, zigzagging up through the house. On the third landing, a door stood ajar. Harry just caught sight of a pair of bright brown eyes staring at him before it closed with a snap.

"Ginny," said Ron. "You don't know how weird it is for her to be this shy. She never shuts up normally –"

They climbed two more flights until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.

Harry and Selena stepped in, their heads almost touching the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling. Then the twins realized that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wall paper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.

"Your Quidditch team?" said Harry.

"The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."

Ron's school spell books were stacked untidily in a corner, next to a pile of comics that all seemed to feature The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle. Ron's magic wand was lying on top of a fish tank full of frog's spawn on the windowsill, next to his fat grey rat, Scabbers, who was snoozing in a patch of sun.

Harry and Selena stepped over a pack of Self-Shuffling playing cards on the floor and looked out of the tiny window. In the field far below, they could see a gang of gnomes sneaking one by one back through the Weasley's hedge. Then they turned to look at Ron, who was watching them almost nervously, as though waiting for their opinion.

"It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that room you had with the Muggles. And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on pipes and groaning…"

But Harry and Selena, grinned widely, said, "This is the best house we've ever been in."

Ron's ears went pink.

They walked back downstairs at the sound of the front door slamming open and the angry talk from a man. Neither, Harry, Ron or Selena could quite hear what he was saying, but they knew it wasn't Mr. Weasley's voice.

As they approached the second landing they heard Evan's voice say, "…we were worried Dad… after Selena didn't respond to the invite, we figured something had happened to them…"

"But sneaking out in the middle of the night – no note – brooms gone – what in Merlin's name were you girls thinking?"

"They were like twigs when we arrived Uncle Michael!" shouted Vanessa's voice. "Those rotten Muggles were starving them!"

"Ah, Vanessa, you know you're not supposed to call Muggles that, look at your grandparents." The man said angrily to his niece.

Harry and Selena walked into the kitchen, seeing Vanessa and Evan standing under a tall man's gaze. His dust coloured hair was in cut short, he wore rectangle glasses and he was wearing midnight blue travel robes and a frown.

"It's true," said Harry and Selena finally, stepping into view.

Vanessa, Evan and the man they assumed was Evan's father looked up. His eyes widened when he saw the twins. "Harry Potter and Selena Potter, such an honour to meet you," he said, "Michael Shadowmend, Deputy of Magical Law Enforcement."

Selena jaw dropped slightly. "You're Evan's father?" she asked, wondering why Evan had a different last name than her father.

"Yes, and I've come to collect my daughter and niece," He said, throwing a dirty look at the girls. "I'm very disappointed in you girls,"

"They put bars on their window!" they protested.

"Bars?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

Harry and Selena nodded. "It's true, and we were only given small servings of food three times a day. The rest of the time we were locked in our room. We would've died of starvation if Ron, Fred and George, and Evan and Vanessa hadn't come to get us."

Selena looked up with pleading eyes. "Please don't punish them, they helped us escape our Aunt and Uncle's house."

The adults all looked at each other for an opinion.

Vanessa and Evan looked hung their heads as Michael sighed. "This is a very serious situation, Miss Potter. I'm sorry but this cannot go unpunished." he said to Selena.

Mrs. Weasley bit her lip. "Indeed, I think you should take the girls home, Michael."

"Will do, Molly. Evan, Vanessa, come…"

Evan and Vanessa looked back as they were walking out the door with sad looks.

Selena mouthed to them: "Good luck,"


	4. At Flourish and Blotts

Life at the Burrow was as different as possible from life on Privet Drive. The Dursleys liked everything neat and ordered; the Weasley's house burst with the strange and unexpected. Selena recalled their first night at the Burrow, where Mrs. Weasley had said she could sleep in Ginny's room, while Harry slept in Ron's. Mrs. Weasley had made up a bed for each twin with nothing except a flick from her wand. When Ginny heard that Selena would be sleeping in, her shyness disappeared and she gave a squeal of delight. Harry got quite a shock when he looked into the mirror hanging above the kitchen mantelpiece and it shouted, "Tuck your shirt in, scruffy!" The ghoul in the attic howled and dropped pipes whenever he felt it was getting too quiet, and small explosions from Fred and George's bedroom were considered perfectly normal. What Harry and Selena found most unusual about life at Ron's, however, wasn't the talking mirror or the clanking ghoul: It was the fact that everybody there seemed to like them.

Mrs. Weasley fussed over the state of their socks and tried the force them to eat fourth helpings at every meal. Mr. Weasley liked to sit between them at the dinner table so that he could bombard them with questions about life with Muggles, asking them to explain how things like plugs and how the postal service worked.

"Fascinating!" he would say as Harry talked him through using a telephone. "Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."

Harry and Selena heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after they had arrived at the Burrow. Harry and Ron went down to breakfast to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Selena and Ginny already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment she saw Harry, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. Ginny seemed very prone to knocking things over whenever Harry entered a room. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun. Selena chuckled to herself. Ginny had told her the reason for her behaviour around Harry on the third night when Selena had asked about it. Selena understood and gave the younger girl some much needed advice.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing around identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink to all the kids. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry, Selena – doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pyjamas.

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Just like last year, the letters told them to catch the Hogwarts Express from King's Cross station on September first. "Good thing we know what to do to get on that darn platform." Said Selena. There was also a list of the new books they'd need for the coming year.

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Selena rolled her eyes. "At least half the list is Gilderoy Lockhart, why don't they just bring the man to Hogwarts instead?" Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Selena's.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan – bet it's a witch."

At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade. "This lot won't come cheap, Mum," said George, with a quick look at Mrs. Weasley. "Lockhart's books are really expensive…"

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things second-hand."

Selena looked up at Mrs. Weasley, remembering the mountain of gold that was her and Harry's Gringotts bank account. Although, it was only in the wizarding world she and Harry had money. They couldn't use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts in Muggle shops. Selena figured if Mrs. Weasley was worried about picking up Ginny's school supplies second-hand, she dreaded what might lay in their own bank account. Silently, she made a plan to prove Mrs. Weasley wrong.

"Oh, are you starting Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish. Fortunately, no one saw this expect Harry, because just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.

"Morning all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, grey feather duster – at least, that was what Harry and Selena thought it was, until they saw that it was breathing.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally – he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."

He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

Dear Ron, and Harry and Selena if you're there,

I hope everything went all right and that Harry and Selena are okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get them out, Ron, because that would get the twins into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if they're alright, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl because I think another delivery might finish your one off.

I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course –

"How can she be?" said Ron in horror. "We're on holiday!"

–and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?

Let me know what's happening as soon as you can.

Love from Hermione.

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"

Harry, Selena, Ron, Fred and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasley owned. It surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practice Quidditch there, as long as they didn't fly too high. Of course, they couldn't use real Quidditch balls; instead they threw apples for one another to catch. They all took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.

Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he said he was busy. Harry and Selena had only seen Percy at mealtimes so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.

"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you two did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all."

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing Harry and Selena's puzzled looks. "Bill also got twelve. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."

Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry and Selena had never met either of them but knew that Charlie was in Romania studying dragons and Bill was in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.

"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything…"

That did it for Selena. She had made up her mind at these words. Next Wednesday, she was going to put her plan into action.

Mrs. Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today… ah well, guests first! After you, Harry, Selena dears!"

As she offered them the flowerpot.

Harry and Selena stared at them all watching them.

"W-what are we supposed to do?" Harry stammered.

"They've never travelled by Floo powder before Mum," said Ron suddenly.

"Never?" said Mr. Weasley. "But how did you two get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"

"We went on the Underground –"

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escalators? How exactly –"

"Arthur, later," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder's a lot quicker, dears, but goodness me, if you've never used it before –"

"They'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, Selena, watch us first."

He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepping up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames.

With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.

"You must speak clearly, dears," Mrs. Weasley told Harry and Selena as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. "And be sure to get out at the right grate…"

"The what?" said Selena nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.

"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly –"

"They'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too.

"But, dear, if they got lost, how would we ever explain to their aunt and uncle?"

"They wouldn't mind," Selena reassured her.

"Yeah," Harry gave a nervous chuckle, "Dudley would think it was a brilliant joke if either one of us got lost up a chimney, don't worry about that –"

"Well… all right… Harry, you go after Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going –"

"And keep your elbows tucked in," Ron advised.

"And your eyes shut," said Mrs. Weasley. "The soot –"

"Don't fidget," said Ron. "Or you might fall out of the wrong fireplace –"

"But don't panic and get out too early; wait until you see Fred and George."

Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He turned to Selena, who gave him an encouraging smile. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash.

"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed and vanished.

Mrs. Weasley nodded to Selena. "Okay Selena, you're up next – not be afraid."

Selena gulped and took a pinch of Floo powder – tossed it into the flames – stepped into the fire and choked out: "Diag-g-gon A-Alley!"

It felt as though she was being sucked down a giant drain. She seemed to be spinning very fast – the roaring was loud in her ears, almost deafening – she tried to keep her eyes open but the whirl of green flames made her feel sick – something or someone knocked into her elbow and she tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning – now it felt as though cold hands were slapping her face – squinting through her messy hair she saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the room beyond – her bacon sandwiches were churning inside her – she closed her eyes again wishing it would stop, and then –

She fell, face forward, onto something soft, something that gave a muffled grunt once she landed on top of them. Her eyes were stinging with soot but she wasn't deaf. "H-Harry?" she coughed.

"Selena?" Harry said as she rolled off him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, dusting the soot off her green dress.

Harry gave her a sarcastic chuckle. Gingerly he rose to his feet, dizzy and bruised, covered in soot and holding his broken glasses to his face. "Guess?"

"Not so well then," said Selena. "where are we?"

They looked around the place they were at and immediately realised they were all alone. What was worse, they had no idea where they were. All they could tell was that they were standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop – but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list.

A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a bloodstained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. Evil looking masks stared down from the walls, and assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. Even worse, the dark narrow street Harry and Selena could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley.

Selena gulped at the sight what looked like a decaying cat on a cushion. "Let's go, this place is making me feel ill."

Harry nodded quickly. "Good idea,"

They made a beeline to the door and stepped out onto the dark, dirty alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. The one they'd just left, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads and, two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. Two shabby looking wizards were watching them from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. Harry and Selena stuck out like sore thumbs, especially Selena. Her hair looked like the only spot of sunshine in this place of shadows. Feeling jumpy, the twins set off, holding each other's hand and hoping against hope they'd be able to find a way out of here.

An old wooden street sign hanging over a shop selling poisonous candles told them they were in Knockturn Alley. That wasn't any help, as Harry and Selena had never heard of such a place. They supposed they hadn't spoken clearly enough when using Floo powder back at the Weasley's fire. Trying to stay calm, they wondered what to do.

"Not lost are you, my dears?" said a voice, making them jump.

An aged witch stood in front of them, holding a tray of what looked horribly like human fingernails. She leered at them, showing mossy teeth. Harry and Selena backed away.

"We're fine, thanks," Harry said.

"We're just –"

"HARRY! SELENA! What d'yeh think yer doin' down there?"

Harry and Selena's jumped. So did the witch; a load of fingernails cascaded down over her feet and she cursed as the massive form of Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, came striding toward them, beetle black eyes flashing over his great bristling beard.

"Hagrid! Are we glad to see you!" Selena croaked in relief.

"We got lost – Floo powder –"

Hagrid seized Harry and Selena by the scruffs of their necks and pulled them way from the witch, knocking the tray right out of her hands. Her shrieks followed them all the way along the twisting alleyway out into the bright sunlight. Harry and Selena saw a familiar, snow white marble building in the distance – Gringotts Bank. Hagrid had steered them right into Diagon Alley.

"Yer a mess, you two," said Hagrid gruffly, brushing soot off Harry and out of Selena's hair so forcefully he nearly knocked them into a barrel of dragon dung outside an apothecary. "Skulkin' around Knockturn Alley, I dunno dodgy place, Harry, Selena – don' want no one ter see yeh both down there –"

"We guessed that," said Selena, ducking as Hagrid made to brush her off again.

"We told you, we were lost – hang on, what were you doing down there, anyway?" Harry asked.

"I was lookin' fer a Flesh Eatin Slug Repellent," growled Hagrid. "They're ruinin' the school cabbages. Yer not on yer own?"

"We're staying with the Weasleys but we got separated," Harry explained.

"We've got to go and find them… they must be wondering where we are," said Selena.

They set off together down the street.

"How come neither of yeh wrote back ter me?" said Hagrid as Harry and Selena jogged to keep up with him.

Harry and Selena explained all about Dobby and the Dursleys.

"Lousy Muggles," growled Hagrid. "If I'd've known –"

"Harry! Selena! Over here!"

Harry and Selena looked up and saw Hermione Granger standing at the top of the white flight of steps to Gringotts. She ran down to meet them, her bushy brown hair flying behind her.

"Hermione!" Selena cried, hugging her.

"It's so great to see you, Hermione." said Harry, beaming.

"What happened to your glasses? Hello, Hagrid – Oh, it's wonderful to see you three again – Are you two coming into Gringotts, Harry, Selena?"

"Just as soon as we've found the Weasleys," said Selena.

"Yeh won't have long ter wait," Hagrid said with a grin.

Harry, Selena and Hermione looked around; sprinted up the crowded streets were Ron, Fred, George, Percy, and Mr. Weasley.

"Harry, Selena," Mr. Weasley panted. "Thank goodness, we hoped you'd only gone one grate too far…" He mopped his glistened bald patch. "Molly's frantic – she's coming now –"

"Where did you two come out?" Ron asked.

"Knockturn Alley," said Hagrid grimly.

"Brilliant!" said Fred and George together.

"We've never been allowed in," said Ron enviously.

"I should ruddy well think not," growled Hagrid.

Mrs. Weasley now came galloping into view, her handbag swinging wildly in one hand, Ginny just clinging onto the other.

"Oh, Harry, Selena – oh, my dears – you could have been anywhere –"

Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping off the soot Hagrid hadn't managed to beat away. Mr. Weasley took Harry's glasses, gave them a tap with her wand, and returned them, good as new.

"Well, gotta be off," said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley ("Knockturn Alley! If you hadn't found them, Hagrid!"). "See yer at Hogwarts!" And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

"So that place, Knockturn Alley, is purely for the Dark Arts?" asked Selena.

"Exactly, why do you think the only ones who go down there are those of the wrong sort." Ron said.

"So… it's like the Black Market then?" said Harry.

"The what?"

Harry, Selena and Hermione exchanged nervous glances. "Muggle market for illegal stuff, stuff like drugs and grisly things," said Selena, "at least, that's what I heard Uncle Vernon say when he read about it in the newspaper."

"So the Muggles have a place for the dark stuff too?" Mr. Weasley asked, excitedly.

"You could say that," Harry said nervously.

"Arthur please," Mrs. Weasley scolded, "let's just be grateful Harry and Selena didn't get hurt. You know the sort of wizards who lurk down there."

Mr. Weasley grimaced. "Yes… dear old Lucius Malfoy has gone down there on a regular basis."

Selena stopped in her tracks. "Did you say Lucius Malfoy, as in Draco's father?"

Mr. Weasley nodded. "I'd love to give Lucius Malfoy a piece of my mind someday…"

"You be careful, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. "That family's trouble. Don't go biting off more than you can chew."

Selena gaped at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, she wanted to say something in defence of the Malfoy family, but she remembered she knew nothing about Draco's parents, so she swallowed her pride and continued to walk into the bank. Luckily, Mr. Weasley was distracted by the sight of Hermione's parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.

"But you're Muggles!" said Mr. Weasley delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're exchanging Muggle money. Molly, look!" He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger's hand.

"Meet you back here," Ron said to Hermione as the Weasleys, Harry and Selena were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

The vaults were reached by the means of small, goblin driven carts that sped along miniature train tracks through the bank's underground tunnels. Harry and Selena enjoyed the breakneck journey down to the Weasleys' vault, but felt dreadful, far worse than they had in Knockturn Alley, when it was opened. There was a very small pile of silver sickles inside and just one gold Galleon. Mrs. Weasley felt right into the corners before sweeping the whole lot into her bag. Harry and Selena felt even worse when they reached their vault. Harry tried to block the contents from view as he hastily shoved handfuls of coins into two leather bags. When no one was looking, Selena shoved two generous handfuls of Galleons, Sickles and Knuts into a spare bag and stuffed it into her pocket.

Back at the marble steps, they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to the second-hand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. "We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books," said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" she shouted at the twins' retreated backs.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to Selena, who had the spare bag of coins in hand. "Selena, you coming? We're going to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour."

"In a minute, Harry. Don't go anywhere – I won't be long." Selena replied, shaking the extra bag, before darting off down the street following Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.

Selena caught sight of two heads of flaming red hair heading towards the second-hand robe shop. "Mrs. Weasley! Mrs. Weasley, wait up!" she cried.

Mrs. Weasley turned around, Ginny on the arm to see Selena puffing and panting from running. "Oh, Selena, is there a problem at all?" she asked, concerned.

Selena shook her head quickly. "No, I just wanted to give you this," she held up the bag of coins. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny stared at her in shock. "Is that from your vault?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, when I saw your vault, I just had to lend you some of mine."

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, looking ready to cry. "N-n-no, Selena – dear, I can't except this,"

"I insist, Harry and I have a whole fortune in Gringotts, you need this more than we do," she said, placing the bag into Mrs. Weasley's hands.

Mrs. Weasley was now incoherent with tears as she cradled the bag of coins as if it were a tiny baby. Ginny made a choking sound and flung her arms around Selena, quickly joined by Mrs. Weasley.

"Thank you," Ginny said, her tears staining Selena's jacket.

When Selena was released, she strode off back to Harry, Ron and Hermione and together they headed in the direction of the ice cream parlour, where Harry bought four large strawberry and peanut butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the street, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr Filibuster's Fabulous Wet Start, No Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called, Prefects Who Gained Power.

"A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating…"

"Go away," Percy snapped.

"'Course, he's very ambitious, Percy, he's got it all planned out… he wants to be Minister of Magic…" Ron told Harry, Hermione and Selena in an undertone as they left Percy to it.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. The reason for this was proclaimed by a large banner stretched across the upper windows:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

Will be signing copies of his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

Today 12.30 – 4.30

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

The crowd seemed to be made up of mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley's age. A harassed looking wizard stood at the door, saying, "Calmly, please, ladies… Don't push, there… mind the books, now…"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. "We'll be able to see him in a minute…"

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The sight made Selena feel sick and she excused herself from the line and walked up the flight of steps to the second landing of the shop. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget me not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. Selena leaned over the edge of the wooden railing, watching the scene play out before her.

A short, irritable looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Moonlight?" came a voice to her left.

Selena's heart gave a great leap. She turned her head around and saw Draco Malfoy standing at the corner of the railing. "Draco!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. "I've missed you,"

"I've missed you too," he suddenly pulled back, wearing a frown, "Selena, what's the deal? How come you never responded to my letters?"

Selena went on to explain in short detail what the Dursleys had done when she and Harry had got back from Hogwarts all the way to being locked up for a week, but in her excitement, forgot to mention Dobby.

"Those _bloody_ Muggles," he snarled, clenching his fist.

"Hey, everything's okay," Selena said, setting a hand on his fist, "the Weasleys got us out of there,"

"But putting bars on your window!"

"I know," Selena then hugged him again, gentler this time. "I'm so glad to see you, when my Aunt and Uncle locked me up, I thought I was never going to see you again."

Draco pulled back, Selena still in his arms. "Really?"

Selena nodded.

Draco gave her a smirk. "Well you've got nothing to worry about, I'm right here."

"You here alone?" she asked.

"No, I'm here with my Father, he's –"

He was cut off by the sound of Lockhart's voice exclaiming: "It can't be Harry Potter!"

Selena and Draco peered over the edge of the railing to see the crowd parting and Lockhart diving forward, seizing Harry's arm, and pulling him to the front. Selena stifled a laugh. "This oughta be good,"

"Can't even walk into a Bookshop without making a scene," Draco said.

"Tell me about it, it's fun while people appreciate you – but when it gets to publicity – it becomes a right thorn in your side," Selena muttered.

Down below they heard Lockhart say, "Good to finally meet you Harry, is your sister around –" Selena moved back from the railing with a look of 'nope!' on her face, "– pity, together we are worth the front page, nice big smile Harry."

When he finally let go of Harry's hand, he tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side. "Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly, waving for quiet. "What an extraordinary moment this is! When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Botts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography – which I shall be happy to present him now, with one for his dear sister Selena, wherever she may be, both free of charge –" The crowd applauded again. "He had no idea," Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, "that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He, his sister and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

"Oh joy," said Selena sarcastically, before turning to Draco. "come on, let's go," She had to talk loudly due to the erupting cheers from down below.

They walked down the stairs and saw Harry at the end, looking embarrassed. "Had fun with Lockhart, did you Harry?" Selena giggled.

"Famous Harry Potter," said Draco. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

Harry frowned. "Hello Malfoy,"

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.

"We were just kidding around Gin, he never meant any harm by it." said Selena.

"What's this Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Draco. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books.

"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Draco as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe.

"I'm quite surprised to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco sneered, "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those,"

Ron went as red as Ginny. Draco let out a yelp as Selena jabbed him on the ribs, giving him a dark look. Ron didn't see as he dropped his books into Ginny's cauldron and started toward Malfoy, but Harry, Hermione and Selena held him back.

"Now, now Draco, play nicely,"

It was Mr. Malfoy. He stood with his hand on Draco's shoulder sneering. Selena looked at Draco's father and immediately recognised their relation. Draco looked like a younger child version of his father, same platinum blonde hair, same blue-grey eyes, though Mr. Malfoy's had more grey in them.

Mr. Malfoy noticed Harry and Selena. "Mr. and Miss. Potter," he said, coldly.

"We meet at last –" his eyes moved up to the scars on the twins foreheads. "your scars are legend, as of course is the wizard who gave them to you,"

"Voldemort killed our parents," said Harry coldly.

"He was nothing more than a murderer," Selena added, giving Mr. Malfoy the same cold glare.

"You two must be very brave to mention his name, or rather foolish."

"To fear the name, only increases the fear of the thing itself, I've said the same thing to your son." said Selena. She was getting bad vibes from Draco's father.

"Yes… Draco's told me all about you Miss. Potter, you're quite close, aren't you?"

The looks on their faces was enough to give Mr. Malfoy the answer.

Mr. Malfoy sneered at his son. "I figured,"

Draco gave Selena a desperate look. Selena's eyes widened as she read his thoughts. He wasn't supposed to be friends with anyone but purebloods. Now she knew what he meant when he said, "It's personal…" last year at the oak tree.

Harry continued to glare at Mr. Malfoy with hatred.

"Children, come on, it's time to leave." said Mr. Weasley, coming up behind them.

"Well, well, well, Arthur Weasley," drawled Mr. Malfoy.

"Lucius," Mr. Weasley sneered.

"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy to Mr. Weasley. "All those raids… I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a brand-new copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration. Mr. Weasley seemed to be taking delight in Mr. Malfoy's shocked expression. "It appears so," he muttered.

Selena felt her heart swell, seeing that the Weasley's had managed to put her loan to good use. Her pride must have shown on her face because Mr. Malfoy said: "I stand corrected, it appears that you're taking loans from the famous Selena Potter? Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if are so poor you have to take loans from a twelve-year-old girl."

Draco looked back at his Father, appalled.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," Mr. Weasley snarled, his face flushed darker than Ron and Ginny.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley… and I thought your family could sink no lower –"

There was a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spell-books came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, "Get him, Dad!" from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, "No, Arthur, no!"; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; "Gentlemen, please – please!" cried the assistant, and then, louder than all –

"All right! That's… ENOUGH!"

The two men were forced apart and shoved into bookshelves on either side of the room. Selena was standing in the middle like a raging bull, having used her powers to break up the fight. The crowd was now in a stunned silence, a few muttering: "She didn't even use a wand?", "How did she do that?" and "That can't have been magic, no child can do wandless magic at this age and level!".

Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny's Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Here, girl – take your book – it's the best your father can give you –"

Pulling himself out of Selena's hold, shooting her a look of shock while he was at it – he beckoned to Draco and swept him from the shop.

"Yeh should've ignored him, Arthur," said Hagrid, who had marched over when he heard the fight from outside. He pulled Mr. Weasley to his feet and straightened his robes. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that – no Malfoy's worth listenin' ter – bad blood, that's what it is – come on now – let's get outta here."

Selena looked out the window of Flourish and Blotts, watching Draco being led away by his father as Hagrid was saying this. Draco briefly looked back at her and the two locked eyes for a minute, before Draco was steered off into Knockturn Alley.

"Bad blood, huh? I'll believe that when Dudley gets his Hogwarts letter," she thought.

"That'll never happen Selena, you know that," said Harry, having read her mind.

"That's exactly my point,"

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid's wrist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking in fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set for your children… brawling in public… what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought…"

"Oh, don't worry about it Mum," said Fred. "He was pleased. Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report and Selena's abilities – said it was all publicity –"

Selena had gone a pale grey. "Just what I need, I'm fine with the whole school knowing that I have telekinesis, but the entire Magical Community?"

"I thought I've seen you at your angriest before, but that took the cake," said Harry in awe.

"Cheers bro, shockingly this isn't making me feel better?"

"Dear, is there a way for you to control your powers, it's getting dangerous." Mrs. Weasley said.

Selena shook her head. "Only when I lose my temper. Why do you think I try to avoid violence?"

"Don't feel too bad about it Selena, it's a very handy skill you have, c'mon you must have used it for your own game?" said either Fred or George.

Selena sniggered under her breath. "Well… there were a few times when I tied my cousin's shoelaces together when he wasn't looking and made him fall flat on his face."

Fred and George roared with laughter. "Classic!"

Selena's smile faded away. "But still, I'm not one for the publicity. I'm only twelve remember, twelve years old and famous for something I don't even remember. It's embarrassing and annoying."

Harry nodded. "I can definitely agree with you on that one, Lena."

"But what's wrong with having everyone know that the famous Selena Potter is a telekinetic?" Fred or George asked.

"So, what if I am, I bet there are loads of other telekinetic wizards and witches out there, I can't be the only one?"

"Actually Selena, you may be the only telekinetic witch in the whole world," said Mr. Weasley, holding a bloody handkerchief to his mouth. "Because telekinesis is non-magical, the Ministry of Magic has no reason to bother with it. Usually those with telekinesis are Muggles who have been electrocuted, very rarely is one born with it."

"So why me? Why am I the one who was born with this ability then?" Selena snapped.

"My guess is that one of your Muggle ancestors was one as well, but it would have to have skipped decades of generations to get to you." said Hermione.

Selena continued to wear the frown on her face. A lot was on her mind that wasn't her ability. Draco's family for example was one of the top three on the list.

"Come on Selena, cheer up. It's so rare and of Muggle invention, there's no law against it," said Ron, "The Ministry can't write a law for one little girl can they?"

Selena looked up and smiled. "No, I suppose that would make themselves look silly."

It was a subdued group that headed back to the fireside in the Leaky Cauldron, where Harry, Selena, the Weasleys, and all their shopping would be traveling back to the Burrow using Floo powder. They said good bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face.

Harry took off his glasses and put them safety in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder. It definitely wasn't his favourite way to travel.


	5. The Whomping Willow

The end of the summer holidays came too quickly for Harry and Selena's liking. They were looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but this month at the Burrow had been the happiest of their lives. It was difficult not to feel jealous of Ron when they thought of the Dursleys and the sort of welcome they could expect next time they turned up on Privet Drive.

On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Harry and Selena's favourite things, ending with a mouth-watering treacle pudding. Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks; they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow, they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half dressed with bits of toast in their mouths; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.

Harry and Selena couldn't wrap their heads around how nine people, seven large trunks, three owls, and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. They had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had added.

"Not a word to Molly," he whispered to Harry and Selena as he opened the trunk and showed them how it had magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.

When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Selena, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"

Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard. Harry and Selena turning back for a last look at the house. They barely had time to wonder when they'd see it again when they were back, George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary. By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.

Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife.

"Molly, dear –"

"No, Arthur –"

"No one would see – this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed – that'd get us up in the air – then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser –"

"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight –"

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolley for their and they all hurried into the station.

Harry and Selena had caught the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they only had five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed.

"I'll take Ginny and you three come right after us," Mrs. Weasley told Harry, Ron and Selena, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.

"Let's go together, we've only got a minute," Ron said to the twins.

Harry and Selena made sure that their owls cages were safety wedged on top of their trunks and wheeled their trolleys around to face the barrier. The felt perfectly confident; this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as using Floo powder. The three of them bent low over the handles of their trolleys and walked purposefully toward the barrier, gathering speed. A few feet away from it, they broke into a run and –

CRASH

Both trolleys hit the barrier and bounced backward; Ron's trunk fell off with a loud thump, Harry and Selena were knocked off their feet and landed on top of each other, and Hedwig's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared and a guard nearby yelled, "What in blazes d'you kids think you're doing?"

"Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he helped Selena up. Ron ran to pick up Hedwig, who was causing such a scene that there was a lot of muttering about cruelty to animals from the surrounding crowd.

"Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron.

"I dunno –"

Selena looked wildly around. A dozen curious people were still watching them. Their eyes darted up to the large clock on the wall hearing it chime for eleven o'clock.

"The train leaves at exactly eleven o'clock, we missed it!" she hissed. "Now what do we do?"

Ron looked to the twins. "Have either of you got any Muggle money?"

Harry and Selena gave hollow laughs. "The Dursleys haven't given us pocket money for about six years."

Ron pressed his ear to the cold barrier.

"Can't hear a thing," he said tensely. "What're we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us."

They looked around. People were still watching them, mainly because of Hedwig's continuing screeches.

"I think we'd better go and wait by the car," said Harry. "We're attracting too much atten –"

"Harry! Selena!" said Ron, his eyes gleaming. "The car!"

"What about it?"

"We can fly the car to Hogwarts!"

"But I thought –"

"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy…"

"But your parents…" said Selena, pushing against the barrier in vain hope that it would give way. "How will they get home?"

"They don't need the car!" said Ron impatiently. "They know how to Apperate! You know, just vanish and reappear at home! They only bother with Floo powder and the car because we're all underage and we're not allowed to Apperate yet…"

Harry and Selena's feelings of panic turned suddenly into excitement.

"Can you fly it?"

"No problem," said Ron, wheeling his trolley around to face the exit. "C'mon, let's go, if we hurry we'll be able to follow the Hogwarts Express –"

And they marched off through the crowd of curious Muggles, out of the station and back onto the side road where the old Ford Anglia was parked.

Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk and a series of taps from his wand. They heaved their luggage back in, put Hedwig and Elvis in the back seat, and got into the front.

"Check that no one's watching," said Ron, starting the ignition with another tap of his wand. Selena stuck her head out of the window: Traffic was rumbling along the main road ahead, but their street was empty.

"Okay," she said, "All clear."

Ron pressed a tiny silver button on the dashboard. The car around them vanished – and so did they. Harry and Selena could feel the seat vibrating beneath them, hear the engine, feel their hands on his knees and Harry could feel his glasses on his nose, but for all they could see, they had become two pairs of eyeballs, floating a few feet above the ground in a dingy street full of parked cars.

"Let's go," said Ron's voice from his right.

And the ground and the dirty buildings on either side fell away, dropping out of sight as the car rose; in seconds, the whole of London lay, smoky and glittering, below them.

Then there was a popping sound and the car, Harry, Selena and Ron reappeared.

"Uh oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty –"

The three of them pummelled it. The car vanished. Then it flickered back again.

"Hold on!" Ron yelled, and he slammed his foot on the accelerator; they shot straight into the low, woolly clouds and everything turned dull and foggy.

"I think we're in the clear, let's hope no one saw us?" said Selena, peering out the window into the fog.

"Now what?" said Harry, blinking at the solid mass of cloud pressing in on them from all sides.

"We need to see the train to know what direction to go in," said Ron.

"Well dip back down again – quickly – "

They dropped back beneath the clouds and twisted around in their seats, squinting at the ground.

"I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead – there!"

The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below them like a scarlet snake.

"Due north," said Ron, checking the compass on the dashboard. "Okay, we'll just have to check on it every half hour or so – Hold on –"

And they shot up through the clouds. A minute later, they burst out into a blaze of sunlight. It was a different world. The wheels of the car skimmed the area of fluffy cloud, the sky a bright endless blue under the blinding white sun.

"All we've got to worry about now are airplanes," said Ron.

They all looked at each other and started to laugh; for a long time, they couldn't stop.

It was as though they had been plunged into a fabulous dream. This, thought Harry, was surely the only way to travel – past swirls and turrets of snowy cloud, in a car full of hot, bright sunlight, with a fat pack of toffees in the glove compartment, and the prospect of seeing Fred's and George's jealous faces when they landed smoothly and spectacularly on the sweeping lawn in front of Hogwarts castle.

They made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. London was soon far behind them, replaced by neat green fields that gave way in turn to wide, purplish moors, a great city alive with cars like multicoloured ants, villages with tiny toy churches.

* * *

Several uneventful hours later, however, Harry and Selena had to admit that some of the fun was wearing off. The toffees had made them extremely thirsty and they had nothing to drink. Harry and Ron had pulled off their sweaters, but Harry's T-shirt was sticking to the back of his seat as his glasses kept sliding down the end of his sweaty nose. They had stopped noticing the fantastic cloud shapes now and were thinking longingly of the train miles below, where you could buy ice cold pumpkin juice from a trolley pushed by a plump witch. Why hadn't they been able to get onto platform nine and three-quarters?

"Can't be much further, can it?" croaked Selena, hours later still, as the sun started to sink into their floor of cloud, staining it a deep pink. "Ready for another check on the train?"

It was still right below them, winding its way past a snow-capped mountain. It was much darker beneath the canopy of clouds.

Ron put his foot on the accelerator and drove them upward again, but as he did so, the engine began to whine.

Harry, Ron and Selena exchanged nervous glances.

"It's probably just tired," said Ron. "It's never been this far before…"

And they all pretended not to notice the whining growing louder and louder as the sky became steadily darker. Stars were blossoming in the blackness. Harry pulled his sweater back on, trying to ignore the way the windshield wipers were now waving feebly, as though in protest.

"Not far," said Ron, more to the car than to the twins, "not far now," and he patted the dashboard nervously.

When they flew back beneath the clouds a little while later, they had to squint through the darkness for a landmark they knew.

"There!" Selena shouted, making Harry, Ron and the owls jump. "Straight ahead!"

Silhouetted on the dark horizon, high on the cliff over the lake, stood the many turrets and towers of Hogwarts castle.

But the car had begun to shudder and was losing speed.

"Come on," Ron said cajoling, giving the steering wheel a little shake, "nearly there, come on –"

The engine groaned. Narrow jets of steam were issuing from under the hood. Harry and Selena found themselves gripping the edges of their seat very hard as they flew toward the lake.

The car gave a nasty wobble. Glancing out of the window, Selena saw the smooth, black, glassy surface of the water, a mile below. Ron's knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The car wobbled again.

"Come on," Ron muttered.

They were over the lake – the castle was right ahead – Ron put his foot down.

There was a loud clunk, a splutter, and the engine died completely.

"Uh oh," said Ron, into the silence.

The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.

"Nooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; they missed the dark stone wall by inches as te car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.

Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket –

"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward them –

"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel as Selena screamed, but it was too late –

CRUNCH

With an ear-splitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Steam was billowing from under the crumbled hood; Hedwig and Elvis were shrieking in terror; a lump the size of a golf ball was throbbing on Harry's head where he had hit the windshield; and to his right, Ron let out a low, despairing groan.

"Are you guys okay?" Harry said urgently.

Selena was checking over her entire body for injuries. "I-I think I'm good,"

"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand –"

It had snapped, almost in two; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

"Be thankful it's not your neck." Harry wheezed.

Selena looked out the cracked window at the tree they had hit. Immediately, her eyes bulged to the size of golf balls and she felt the colour drain from her face. Of all trees they had to have hit, it just _had_ to be this one. One that she never wanted to see again. "Uhh, guys, I think I know what tree this is!" At that very moment, something hit the side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending them lurching sideways into Ron, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof, confirming Selena's fear.

"What's happen –?"

Ron gasped, staring through the windshield, and the twins looked around just in time to see a branch as thick as a python smash into it. The tree they had hit was attacking them. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarling boughs were pummelling every inch of the car it could reach.

"Aaargh!" said Ron as another twisted limb punched a large dent into his door; the windshield was now trembling under a hail of blows from knuckle like twigs and a branch as thick as a battering ram was pounding furiously on the roof, which seemed to be caving in –

"Run for it!" Ron shouted, throwing his full weight against his door, but the next second he had been knocked backward into Harry's lap by a vicious uppercut from another branch.

"We're done for!" he moaned as the ceiling sagged, but suddenly the floor of the car was vibrating – the engine had restarted.

"Get us outta here! Reverse!" Selena yelled, and the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.

"That," panted Ron, "was close. Well done, car –"

The car, however, had reached the end of its tether. With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and Harry and Selena felt their seat tip sideways: Next thing they knew they were sprawled on the damp ground. Loud thuds told them that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig and Elvis's cages flew through the air and burst open; the owls rose out of them with angry screeches and sped off toward the castle without a backward look. Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.

"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad'll kill me!" But the car disappeared from view with one last snort from its exhaust.

"Can you two believe our luck?" said Ron miserably, bending down to pick up Scabbers. "Of all the trees we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."

"How did you know about the tree Selena?" Harry asked, picking up his trunk.

Selena sighed, shivering at the memory from last year. "I'll explain later," she said, picking up her own heavy trunk, "come on, we'd better get up to the school…"

It wasn't at all the triumphant arrival they had pictured. Stiff, cold, and bruised, they seized the ends of their trunks and began dragging them up the grassy slope, toward the great oak front doors.

"I think the feasts already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey – Harry, Selena – come and look – it's the Sorting!"

The twins hurried over and, together, they and Ron peered in at the Great Hall.

Innumerable candles were hovering in mid-air over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitches ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with the stars.

Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry and Selena saw a long line of scared looking first years filing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.

Harry and Selena well remembered putting it on, exactly one year ago, and waiting, petrified, for its decision as it muttered aloud in their ears. For a few horrible seconds Harry had feared that the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, the house that had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other – but he had ended up in Gryffindor, along with Selena, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys. Most of Selena's friends were also in Gryffindor; Adeline Knotley, Odessa Digby and Vanessa Shadowmend. The girls shared the same dorm room last year and Selena hoped that they would remain together as Vanessa would turn every Friday evening into a sleepover setting. Selena's other two girl friends; Evan Barkridge and Asha Grail were in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

Last term, Harry, Selena and Ron had helped Gryffindor win the House Championship, putting themselves even with Slytherin for the first time in seven years.

A very small, mousy haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. Harry's eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candlelight. Several seats along, Harry and Selena spotted Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.

"Hang on…" Harry muttered to Ron and Selena. "There's an empty chair at the staff table… Where's Snape?"

Professor Severus Snape was Harry's least favourite teacher. Harry also happened to be Snape's least favourite student, although oddly enough, Selena was Snape's favourite student, besides all members of his own house (Slytherin). Usually, Snape was cruel, sarcastic, and disliked by everybody except the Slytherins and Selena, though her thoughts about him were more neutral. Snape taught Potions.

"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.

"Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again!"

Selena shook her head at their immaturity. "Nah, Snape's been after that job for years and has always come back. There's no way he's quit."

"He might have though," said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him –"

"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."

Harry and Selena spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder length black hair, and at this moment, he was frowning in a way that told them they and Ron were in very deep trouble.

"Follow me," said Snape.

Not daring to even look at each other, Harry, Selena and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

"In!" he said, opening a door hallway down the cold passageway and pointing.

They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things Harry and Selena didn't really want to know the name of at the moment. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.

"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Brought Selena along for the hell of it, did you? Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"

"Sir, please, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it –"

"Selena, I don't wish to hear it…" said Snape coldly as he unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office Tower… at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing… Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police… Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling nastily. "Dear, dear… his own son…"

Harry and Selena felt as though they'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out Mr. Weasley had bewitched the car… they hadn't thought of that…

"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to our very rare and valuable Whomping Willow that's been on these grounds since before you were born," Snape went on.

"That tree did more damage to us than we –" Ron blurted out.

"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."

Harry, Selena and Ron stared at each other, white faced. None of them felt hungry any more. They now felt extremely sick. If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.

Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. Harry and Selena had seen Professor McGonagall angry on several occasions, but either they had forgotten just how thin her mouth could go, or they had never seen her this angry before. She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry, Ron and Selena all flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted.

"Sit," she said, and they all backed into chairs by the fire.

"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.

Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.

"…so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."

"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you two have owls?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry and Selena.

Selena felt like punching herself in the face. Now she had said it, that seemed like the obvious thing to have done.

There was a knock on the office door and Snape opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.

Harry's whole body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them, and the twins suddenly found themselves wishing they were still being beaten up by the Whomping Willow.

There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."

It would have been better if he had shouted. Harry and Selena hated the disappointed in his voice. For some reason, they were unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. They told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making I sound as though they and Ron had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. They knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When the twins had finished, they merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.

"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.

Harry and Selena looked quickly at Dumbledore.

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."

Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled. He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these boys have flouted the Decree of the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree – surely acts of this nature –"

"I believe you forgot Selena, Severus," said Dumbledore, "She was just as involved as the boys,"

"Yes, of course," Snape said, with a shake in his voice which struck Selena as odd.

"I believe it will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on their punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious looking custard tart I want to sample."

Snape shot a look of pure venom at Harry and Ron as he allowed himself to be swept away out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was still eyeing them like a wrathful eagle.

"You'd better get along to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."

"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve. "Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being Sorted –"

"The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."

"Oh, good," said Ron.

"And speaking of Gryffindor –" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so – so Gryffindor shouldn't really have points taken from it – should it?" he finished, watching her anxiously.

Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but he was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway.

"I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, and Harry's heart lightened considerably. "But you three will receive detention."

It was better than they had expected. As for Dumbledore's writing to the Dursleys, that was nothing. Harry and Selena knew perfectly well they'd just be disappointed that the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed them flat, though Selena hadn't said anything yet.

Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, three silver goblets, and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.

"You will eat in here and then go straight up to your dormitory," she said. "I must also return to the feast."

When the door had closed behind her, Selena finally spoke and let out a long, low whistle. "I thought we'd had it," she said, grabbing a sandwich.

"So did we," said Harry on the behalf of Ron, taking a chicken sandwich.

"Can you guys believe your luck, though?" said Ron thickly through a mouthful of chicken and ham. "Fred and George must've flown that car five or six times and no Muggle ever saw them." He swallowed and took another huge bite.

"Whomping Willow's I can handle, but that was scary." commented Selena.

"Why couldn't we get through the barrier?"

Harry and Selena shrugged. "We'll have to watch our step from now on, though," Harry said, taking a grateful swig of pumpkin juice. "Wish we could've gone up to the feast…"

"Guess she didn't want us showing off," said Selena. "Doesn't want people to think it's clever, arriving by flying car and then crashing into the Whomping Willow."

"About that, Selena, how come you already knew about that tree and what it was?" Ron asked.

Selena sighed. "Okay, do you guys remember our first flying lesson last year, when I ran off?"

Harry and Ron nodded.

"And I came back covered in dirt, saying I tripped, well – I wasn't being honest with you. I climbed the Whomping Willow thinking it was a normal tree and – well – three guesses as to what happened,"

Harry and Ron stared at her in shock. Selena's honest nod was all they needed to confirm what they feared.

"How did you escape?" Harry asked.

Selena gulped. She wasn't about to break the promise she'd made with Snape, especially when they were this deep in the mud. She decided it would be best if she only told them half of the truth. "One of the teachers happened to be passing by and heard my screams. They got me out away from the tree to safety. I didn't get a good look at who it was, I was knocked out. When I came too, I was patched up and lying against the wall in the courtyard. That's when I walked back to class before Madame Hooch returned." Selena explained.

Harry and Ron gapped at her in surprise, wondering if she was being perfectly honest with them, but they had better things to be concerned about as none of them knew just how why they couldn't get through the barrier at Kings Cross.

When they had eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate kept refilling itself) they rose and left the office, treading the familiar path to Gryffindor Tower. The castle was quiet; it seemed that the feast was over. They walked past muttering portraits and creaking suits of armour, and climbed narrow flights of stone stairs, until at last they reached the passage where the secret entrance to Gryffindor Tower was hidden, behind an oil painting a very fat woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" she said as they approached.

"Er –" said Harry.

They didn't now the new year's password, not having met a Gryffindor prefect yet, but help came almost immediately; they heard hurrying feet behind them and turned to see Hermione dashing toward them.

"There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumours – someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car!"

"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her.

"You're not telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.

"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."

"Ron –" Selena scolded slightly.

"It's 'wattlebird,'" said Hermione impatiently, "but that's not the point –"

Her words were cut short, however, as the portrait of the fat lady swung open and there was a sudden storm of clapping. It looked as though the whole of Gryffindor House was still awake, packed into the circular common room, standing on the lopsided tables and squashy armchairs, waiting for them to arrive. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry, Ron and Selena inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.

"Brilliant!" said Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years –"

"Good for you," said a fifth year neither Harry or Selena had ever spoken to; someone was patting Harry on the back as though he'd just won a marathon; Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't you call us back, eh?" Ron was scarlet in the face, grinning embarrassedly, but Harry could see one person who didn't look happy at all. Percy was visible over the heads of some excited first years, and he seemed to be trying to get near enough to start telling them off. Selena nudged Ron in the ribs and nodded in Percy's direction. Ron got the point at once.

"Got to get upstairs – bit tired," he said, and the three of them started pushing their way toward the door on the other side of the room, which led to a spiral staircase and the dormitories.

"Night," Harry called back to Hermione, who was wearing a scowl just like Percy's.

The twins managed to get to the other side of the common room, still having their backs slapped, and gained the peace of the staircase. Harry and Selena parted ways and Selena scurried up to the girl's dormitory. She hurried up to it, reached the door of her old dormitory, which now had a sign on it saying SECOND YEAR GIRLS DORM B. She entered the familiar, circular room, with its four four-posters hung with red velvet and its high, narrow windows. As expected, her trunk had already been brought up and stood at the end of her bed. She barely had time to enjoy the feeling of being back in her old dorm when the loud, excited shrieks erupted in her ears.

Her old roommates, Adeline Knotley, Odessa Digby and Vanessa Shadowmend appeared out from behind the curtains and tackled Selena into a group hug.

"SELENA!"

"Girls! I missed you all so much!"

"We missed you too," said Adeline, a girl of Indian decent with long magenta hair and eyes the colour of Galleons.

"Vanessa explained everything while we were waiting for you, I'd like to give that Uncle of yours a piece of my mind!" Odessa cried, balling her hands into fists. Odessa was short, with curly blonde hair above the shoulders and wore large, hipster glasses.

Selena looked to Vanessa. "You and Evan didn't get in any major trouble, did you?"

Vanessa shook her head. "Nah, but we did get an earful when we got home and had our brooms confiscated for the rest of the summer. Shame, Evan needed to practice, she's going to be trying out for her House Quidditch team this year."

"Really? That's amazing, though – I am sorry that your brooms got confiscated."

"Don't worry about it, now tell us. Is it true that you flew an enchanted car to school?"

Selena gave a low sigh. "Yes,"

"Why?" the girls asked.

"The barrier to Platform 9 ¾ wouldn't let us through, it was like an actual wall."

"What? Why on earth did the barrier do that?" said Adeline.

"That's what I've been asked myself since we flew that car, I have no idea, neither does Harry or Ron."

"You weren't seen though, were you?" Odessa asked.

"Well…"

"No way!"

"Yup, I have detention for it."

"Unbelievable," Vanessa said in awe.

Odessa nodded. "I would have to agree. The only Muggles who know about us are the ones who are parents to Muggle-borns, but the Ministry has the job of them swearing secrecy as well. It's because of those old Pureblood families, who refuse to marry Half-bloods or Muggle-borns into the family, supposed to keep things pure, but look at what that's done now. But now, most of the Pureblood families are related, so now they have two choices, break their pureblood status or marry their own relatives, unfortunately they chose the latter."

"Ugh!" Selena cringed.

"But you're a Pureblood, Odessa," said Vanessa.

"I am, but my family isn't originally from Britain, the Digby's are from Germany, we're not blood related to any of those nasty people."

Selena cleared her throat. "Aside from this talk about Ministry laws and flying cars, tell me about your holidays, since – well, yeah..."

The girls giggled and climbed onto Adeline's bed. "Well, it turns out my biological parents had another baby who they also gave up. Unlike me, they had the generosity of leaving him at an orphanage."

"The poor thing,"

"It's okay, the Ministry owled my mother's about it and Mummy Tatiana contacted the orphanage he was left at, saying she wanted to adopt him. So now I'm a big sister to a baby brother!" Adeline finished with a squeal.

"Adeline, congratulations!" Selena cried, hugging her.

"What's his name?" Odessa asked.

"Dhani, Mummy Tatiana and Mummy Astra had the choice of giving him a new name when they adopted him, but the people at the orphanage already beat them to that. They liked the name so much, they decided to keep it." she explained.

"How old is he?"

"Two, he's going to be three in November," Adeline then pulled out a wizarding photograph and showed the girls. The picture showed Adeline holding a little boy with a head of black hair, but he had gold eyes, like his sister. In the picture, the pair was smiling and waving.

"Aww, he's such a cutie." They awed.

With the new gossip and the sight of Adeline's new baby brother, Selena felt more relaxed about the messy ordeal that got her to school that year. She couldn't help it, she grinned.

Meanwhile, in the second-year boys dormitory Harry and Ron were talking to each other. They had heard the squeal from Selena's roommates from when she entered the room and Harry laughed. "Sounds like Selena's friends are happy to see her."

Ron never got to answer as the dormitory door flew open and in came the other second year Gryffindor Boys, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom.

"Unbelievable!" beamed Seamus,

"Cool," said Dean.

"Amazing," said Neville, awestruck.

Harry couldn't help it. He grinned, too.

* * *

Selena woke to the soft sound of feathers swooping through the open window. Rubbing her eyes, the moonlight beaming through the window provided her enough light to see Draco's eagle owl Shadow swoop in and drop a letter into her lap before sitting patiently on the windowsill.

Selena quickly ripped open the envelope to read the letter.

Dear Moonlight,

I didn't see you at the feast today or on the train. Then I heard from Blaise that you, Weasel and Potter flew an enchanted car to Hogwarts and crashed it into the Whomping Willow.

Are the rumours true? If so, please tell me that you're not expelled. If your still at Hogwarts tomorrow, please meet me under the oak tree at sunset. Reply back as soon as possible.

\- Draco Malfoy

Selena smiled and scribbled out a reply on a piece of blank parchment, being careful not to wake Adeline, who was mumbling something about Transfiguration exams in her sleep.

Dear Dragon,

I'm afraid the rumours are indeed true. No, I am not expelled, thank Merlin, but I do have a detention. I'd be glad to meet up in our spot. I'll explain everything to you there.

\- Selena Potter

P.S Their names are Harry and Ron, not Potter and Weasel

She folded up the letter and handed it to Shadow, who swooped out of the window and into the night. Selena smiled as she lay back down and went back to sleep, dreaming of her Slytherin Prince.


	6. Gilderoy Lockhart

The next day, however, Harry and Selena barely grinned once. Things started to go downhill from breakfast in the Great hall. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge, plates of kippers, mountains of toast, and dishes of eggs and bacon, beneath the enchanted ceiling (today, a dull, cloudy grey). Harry, Ron and Selena sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Adeline, Odessa, Vanessa and Hermione, who had her copy of Voyages with Vampires propped open against a milk jug. There was a slight stiffness in the way she said "Morning," which told Harry and Selena that she was still disapproving of the way they had arrived. Neville Longbottom, on the other hand, greeted them cheerfully. Neville was a round faced and accident-prone boy with the worst memory of anyone the twins had ever met.

"Mail's due any minute – I think Gran's sending a few things I forgot."

Harry and Selena had only just started their porridge when, sure enough, there was a rushing sound overhead and a hundred or so owls streamed in, circling the hall and dropped letters and packages into the chattering crowd. A big, lumpy package bounced off Neville's head and, a second later, something large and grey fell into Hermione's jug, spraying them all with milk and feathers.

"Errol!" said Ron, pulling the bedraggled owl out by the feet. Errol slumped, unconscious, onto the table, his legs in the air and a damp red envelope in his beak.

"Oh, no –" Ron gasped.

"It's alright, he's still alive," said Hermione, prodding Errol gently with the tip of her finger.

"It's not that – it's that."

Ron was pointing at the red envelope. It looked quite ordinary to Harry and Selena, but Ron, Neville, Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa were looking at it as though they expected it to explode.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"It's just a letter, Ron." said Selena.

"No it's not – Mum's, Mum's sent me a Howler," said Ron faintly.

"You'd better open it, Ron." said Neville in a timid whisper. "It'll be worse if you don't. My gran sent me one once, and I ignored it and" – he gulped – "it was horrible."

Harry looked from their petrified faces to the red envelope.

"What's a Howler?" he said.

But Ron's whole attention was fixed on the letter, which had begun to smoke at the corners.

"Open it," Neville urged. "It'll all be over in a few minutes –"

Ron stretched out a shaking hand, eased the envelope from Errol's beak, and slit it open. Neville, Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa stuffed their fingers into their ears. A split second later, Harry and Selena knew why. Harry thought for a moment it had exploded; a roar of sound filled the huge hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.

"– STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY'D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE –"

Mrs. Weasley's yells, a hundred times louder than usual, made the plates and spoons rattle on the table, and echoed deafeningly off the stone walls. People throughout the hall were swivelling around to see who had received the Howler, and Ron sank so low in his chair that only his crimson forehead could be seen.

"– LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, HARRY AND SELENA COULD'VE DIED –"

Harry and Selena looked at each other. They had been wondering when their names were going to pop up. They tried very hard to look as though they couldn't heard the voice that was making their eardrums throb.

"– ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED – YOUR FATHER'S NOW FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK AND IT'S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT. IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE, WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME!"

The ringing silence fell. The red envelope, which had dropped from Ron's hand, burst into flames and curled into ashes. Harry, Ron and Selena sat stunned, as though a tidal wave had just passed over them. A few people laughed and, gradually, a babble of talk broke out again.

Hermione close Voyages with Vampires and looked down at the top of Ron's head.

"Well, I don't know what you expected, Ron, but you –"

"Don't tell me I deserved it," snapped Ron.

Harry and Selena pushed their porridge away. Their insides were burning with guilt. Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. After all Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had done for them over the summer…

But they had no time to dwell on this; Professor McGonagall was moving along the Gryffindor table, handing out course schedules. Harry and Selena took theirs and saw that they had double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs first.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena left the castle together, crossed the vegetable patch, and made for the greenhouses, where the magical plants were kept. At least the Howler had done one good thing: Hermione seemed to think they had now been punished enough and was being perfectly friendly again.

As they neared the greenhouses they saw the rest of the class standing outside, waiting for Professor Sprout. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena had only just joined them when she came striding into view across the lawn, accompanied by Gilderoy Lockhart. Professor Sprout's arms were full of bandages, and another twinge of guilt, Harry and Selena spotted the Whomping Willow in the distance, several of its branches now in slings.

Professor Sprout was a squat little witch who wore a patched hat over her flyaway hair; there was usually a large amount of earth on her clothes and her fingernails would have made Aunt Petunia faint. Gilderoy Lockhart, however, was immaculate in sweeping robes of turquoise, his golden hair shining under a perfectly positioned turquoise hat with gold trimming.

"Oh, hello there!" he called, beaming around at the assembled students. "Just been showing Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow! But I don't want you running away with the idea that I'm better at Herbology than she is! I just happen to have met several of these exotic plants on my travels…"

"Greenhouse three today, chaps!" said Professor Sprout, who was looking distinctly disgruntled, not at all her usual cheerful self.

There was a murmur of interest. They had only ever worked in greenhouse one before – greenhouse three housed far more interesting and dangerous plants. Professor Sprout took a large key from her belt and unlocked the door. Harry and Selena caught a whiff of damp earth and fertilizer mingling with the heavy perfume of some giant, umbrella sized flowers dangling from the ceiling. They were about to follow Ron and Hermione inside when Lockhart's hand shot out.

"Harry! Selena! I've been wanting a word – you don't mind of they're a couple minutes late, do you, Professor Sprout?"

Judging by Professor Sprout's scowl, she did mind, but Lockhart said, "That's the ticket," and closed the greenhouse door in her face.

"Potters," said Lockhart, his large white teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he shook his head. "Potters, Potters, Potters."

Completely nonplussed, Harry and Selena said nothing.

"When I heard – well, of course, it was all my fault. Could have kicked myself."

Harry and Selena had no idea what he was talking about. Selena was about to say so when Lockhart went on, "Don't know when I've been more shocked. Flying a car to Hogwarts! Well, of course, I knew at once why you two've done it. Stood out a mile. Potters, Potters, Potters."

It was remarkable how he could show every one of those brilliant teeth even when he wasn't talking.

"Gave you a taste of publicity, didn't I?" said Lockhart. "Gave you the bug. Harry, you got onto the front page with me, but poor Selena missed out, so you showed your special abilities in public hoping to impress me, didn't you, my dear?"

Selena gaped at Lockhart. "N-no, t-that's not –"

"Yes, yes, I understand. You didn't want to feel left out of the spotlight. I must say, your plan worked. I never imagined a witch could be a telekinetic, my dear. Wanted to show the world you have this rare ability, to be the gem of the Wizarding World." Selena noticed that Lockhart got a twitch in his eye when he said this. "Selena, all you had to do was ask and there will be plenty of time for that, we do have a whole year ahead of us."

Harry spoke up. "Oh, no, Professor, see –"

"Potters, Potters, Potters," said Lockhart, reaching out and grasping their shoulders. "I understand. Natural to want a bit more once you've had that first taste – and I blame myself for giving you two that, because it was bound to go to your heads – but see here, you two, you can't start flying cars to try and get yourself noticed. Just calm down, all right? Plenty of time for all that when you're older. Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking! 'It's all right for him, he's an internationally famous wizard already!' But when I was twelve, I was just as much of a nobody as you two are now. In fact, I'd say I was even more of a nobody! I mean, a few people have heard of you, haven't they? All that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" He glanced at the lightning scars on the twin's foreheads. "I know, I know – it's not quite as good as winning Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award five times in a row, as I have – but it's a start, Potters, it's a start."

He gave the twins a hearty wink and strode off. Harry and Selena stood stunned for a few seconds, then, remembering they were supposed to be in the greenhouse, Harry opened the door and the two of them slide inside.

Professor Sprout was standing behind a trestle bench in the centre of the greenhouse. About twenty pairs of different coloured ear muffs were lying on the bench. When Harry and Selena had taken their places between Ron and Hermione, she said, "We'll be repotting Mandrakes today. Now, who can tell me the properties of the Mandrake Root?"

To nobody's surprise, Hermione and Selena's hands shot up into the air.

"Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful resorptive," said Hermione, sounding as usual as though she swallowed a textbook. "It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state."

"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "The Mandrake forms and essential part of most antidotes. It is also, however, dangerous. Who can tell me why?"

Selena's hand narrowly missed Harry's glasses as it shot up in the air, beating Hermione's by a second.

"The cry of the Mandrake is fatal to anyone who hears it," she said promptly.

"Precisely. That's another ten points to Gryffindor," said Professor Sprout. "Now, the Mandrakes we have here are still only seedlings, their cries won't kill yet."

She pointed to a row of deep trays as she spoke, and everyone shuffled forward for a better look. A hundred or so tufty little plants, purplish green in colour, were growing there in rows. They looked quite unremarkable to Harry, who didn't have the slightest idea what Selena meant by the 'cry' of the Mandrake.

"Everyone take a pair of earmuffs," said Professor Sprout.

There a scrambled as everyone tried to seize a pair that wasn't pink and fluffy.

"When I tell you to put them on, make sure your ears are completely covered," said Professor Sprout. "When it is safe to remove them, I will give you the thumbs up. Right – earmuffs on."

Harry and Selena snapped the earmuffs over their ears. They shut out sound completely. Professor Sprout put the pink, fluffy pair over her own ears, rolled up the sleeves of her robes, grasped one the tufty plants firmly, and pulled hard.

Harry let out a gasp of silence that no one could hear.

Instead of roots, a small, muddy, and extremely ugly baby popped out of the earth. The leaves were growing right out of his head. He had pale green, mottled skin, and was clearly bawling at the top of his lungs.

" _Not exactly the prettiest things in the world_ , _are they Harry?_ " Selena's voice echoed through Harry's mind, making him jump.

" _Selena, you scared me!"_

Selena giggled, though no one could hear her. " _Sorry but be thankful for these earmuffs."_

Professor Sprout took a large plant pot from under the table and plunged the Mandrake into it, burying him in the dark, damp compost until only the tufted leaves were visible. Professor Sprout dusted off her hands, gave them all the thumbs up, and removed her own earmuffs.

"Although their cries won't kill you yet, they will knock you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you out for several hours, and as I'm sure none of you want to miss your first day back, make sure your earmuffs are securely in place while you work. I will attract your attention when it is time to pack up.

"Four to a tray – there is a large supply of pots here – compost in the sacks over there – and be careful of the Venomous Tentacula, it's teething."

She gave a sharp slap to a spiky, dark red plant as she spoke, making it draw in the long feelers that had been inching sneakily over her shoulder.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena had their tray by a curly haired Hufflepuff boy Harry and Selena knew by sight but had never spoken to.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley," he said brightly, shaking Harry and Selena by the hands. "Know who you two are, of course, the famous Harry Potter and Selena Potter… Selena, you really are a sight for sore eyes… And you're Hermione Granger – always on top in everything…" (Hermione beamed as she had her hand shaken too) "and Ron Weasley. Wasn't that your flying car?" Ron didn't smile. The Howler was obviously still on his mind.

"That Lockhart's something, isn't he?" said Justin happily as they began filling their plant pots with dragon dung compost. "Awfully brave chap. Have you guys read his books? I'd have died of fear if I'd been corned in a telephone booth by a werewolf, but he stayed cool and – zap – just fantastic.

"My name was down for Eton, you know. I can't tell you how glad I am I came here instead. Of course, Mother was slightly disappointed, but since I made her read Lockhart's books I think she's begun to see how useful it'll be to have a fully trained wizard in the family…"

After that they didn't have much chance to talk. Their earmuffs were back on and they needed to concentrate on the Mandrakes. Professor Sprout had made it look extremely easy, but it wasn't. The Mandrakes didn't like coming out of the earth but didn't seemed to want to go back into it either. They squirmed, kicked, flailed their sharp little fists, and gnashed their teeth; Harry spent ten whole minutes trying to squash a particularly fat one into a pot.

By the end of the class, Harry and Selena, like everyone else, were sweaty, aching, and covered in earth. Everyone traipsed back to the castle for a quick wash and then the Gryffindors hurried off to Transfiguration.

Professor McGonagall's classes were always hard work, but today was especially difficult. Everything Harry had learned last year seemed to have leaked out of his head during the summer. They were supposed to be turning a beetle into a button, but all Harry managed to do was give his beetle a lot of exercise as it scuttled over the desktop avoiding his wand.

Ron was having far worse problems. He had patched up his wand with some borrowed Spello-tape, but it seemed to be damaged beyond repair. It kept crackling and sparking at odd moments, and every time Ron tried to transfigure his beetle it engulfed him in thick grey smoke that smelled of rotten eggs. Unable to see what he was doing, Ron accidentally squashed his beetle with his elbow and had to ask for a new one. Professor McGonagall wasn't pleased.

Selena was having a better off time with Transfiguration. She actually managed to remember half of what was learned last year. She, like Harry had trouble with keeping her beetle still. It flew up into the air and buzzed around the squealing student's heads, but just as the beetle was prepared to fly towards an open window, Selena performed the spell and a bright green, shiny button clattered to the floor.

Harry was relieved to hear the lunch bell. His brain felt like a wrung sponge. Everyone filed out of the classroom except him, Ron and Selena, who was consoling Ron as he repeatedly whacked his wand furiously on the desk.

"Stupid – useless – thing –"

"Ron, whacking it on the table isn't going to help the situation." Selena said.

"Maybe you could write home for another one," Harry suggested as the wand let off a volley of bangs like a firecracker.

"Oh, yeah, and get another Howler back," said Ron, stuffing the now hissing wand into his bag. "It's your own fault your wand got snapped –"

They went down to lunch, where Ron's mood was not improved by Hermione's showing them the handful of perfect coat buttons she had produced in Transfiguration.

"Cheer up Ron, I only managed to produce one button in that entire lesson." Selena said, in an effort to make him feel better.

"What've we got this afternoon?" said Harry, hastily changing the subject.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts," said Hermione at once.

"Why," demanded Ron, seizing her schedule, "have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in little hearts?" Hermione snatched the schedule back, blushing furiously.

They finished lunch and went outside into the overcast courtyard. Hermione sat down on a stone step and buried her nose in Voyages with Vampires again. Harry and Ron stood talking about Quidditch, while Selena pulled out The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe; and returned to the chapter she was up too. It was like that for several minutes before Harry and Selena shared the funny feeling that the two of them were being closely watched. Looking up, Selena spotted the very small, mousy haired boy she'd seen trying on the Sorting hat last night. He was staring at herself and Harry as though transfixed. He was clutching what looked like an ordinary Muggle camera, and the moment Harry and Selena looked at him, he went bright red.

"All right, Harry, Selena? I'm – I'm Colin Creevey," he said breathlessly, taking a tentative step forward. "I'm in Gryffindor, too. D'you think – would it be all right if – can I have a picture?" he said, raising the camera hopefully.

"A picture?" Harry repeated blankly.

"So, I can prove I've met you two," said Colin Creevey eagerly, edging further forward. "I know all about you two. Everyone's told me. About how you guys survived when You-Know-Who tried to kill you and how he disappeared and everything and how you're still got a lightning scar in your foreheads" (his eyes raked Harry and Selena's hairlines) "and that you're" – his gaze then fixed on Selena, who was blushing madly – "the only telekinetic witch in the entire wizarding world. A boy in my dormitory said if I develop the film in the right position, the pictures'll will move without the aid of a charm." Colin drew a great shuddering breath of excitement and said, "It's amazing here, isn't it? I never knew all the odd stuff I could do was magic till I got the letter from Hogwarts. My dad's a milkman, he couldn't believe it either. So I'm taking loads of pictures to send home to him. And it'd be really good if I had one of you" – he looked imploringly at Harry and Selena – "maybe your friend could take it and I could stand between you two? And then, could you two sign it?"

"Signed photos? You're giving out signed photos, Potter and Potterina?"

Loud, whiny and bratty, Veronica Blackwood's voice echoed around the courtyard. She had stopped right behind Colin, smelling of expensive perfume and looking ten years her senior, as she always was at Hogwarts. She was a model and star of many Child Beauty Pageants before she came to Hogwarts.

"Everyone line up!" Blackwood roared to the crowd. "Harry and Selena Potter are giving out signed photos!"

"No, we're not," said Harry angrily, his fists clenching.

"Shut up, Blackwood." Selena hissed, snapping the book shut.

"You're just jealous," piped up Colin, whose entire body was about as thick as a small tree trunk. Veronica sneered down at the boy.

"Jealous?" said Blackwood, who didn't need to shout anymore: half the courtyard was listening in. "Of what? I don't want a foul scar right across my head, thanks. I don't think getting your head cut open makes you that special, myself."

"Get lost, Blackwood," said Ron angrily.

"Be careful, Weasley," sneered Blackwood. "You don't want to start any trouble, or your Mummy'll have to come and take you away from school." He put on a shrill, piercing voice. "If you put another toe out of line –"

A knot of fifth years nearby laughed loudly at this.

"Weasley would like a signed photo, Potters," smirked Blackwood. "It'd be worth more than his family's whole house –"

Ron whipped out his Spello-taped wand, but Hermione shut Voyages with Vampires with a snap and whispered, "Look out!"

"What's all this, what's all this?" Gilderoy Lockhart was striding toward them, his turquoise robes swirling behind him. "Who's giving out signed photos?"

Harry and Selena started to speak but they were cut short as Lockhart flung an arm around their shoulders and thundered jovially, "Shouldn't have asked! We meet again, Potters!"

Pinned to Lockhart's sides and burning with humiliation, Harry and Selena saw Blackwood slide sneering back into the crowd.

"Come on then, Mr. Creevey," said Lockhart, beaming at Colin. "A triple portrait, can't do better than that, and we'll all sign it for you."

Colin fumbled for his camera and took the picture as the bell rang behind them, signalling the start of afternoon classes. "Off you go, move along there," Lockhart called to the crowd, and he set off back to the castle with the twins, who were wishing one of them knew a good Vanishing Spell, still clasped to his sides.

"A word to the wise, Potters," said Lockhart paternally as they entered the building through a side door. "I covered up for you back there with young Creevey – if he was photographing me, too, your schoolmates won't think you're setting yourself up so much…"

Deaf to Harry and Selena's stammers, Lockhart swept them down a corridor lined with staring students and up a staircase.

"Let me just say that handing out signed pictures at this stage of your career isn't sensible – looks a tad bigheaded, Potters, to be frank. There may well come a time when, like me, you'll need to keep a stack handy wherever you go, but" – he gave a little chortle – "I don't think either of you are quite there yet."

They had reached Lockhart's classroom and he let the twins go at last. Harry yanked their robes straight and headed for a seat at the very back of the class, where they busied themselves with all seven of Lockhart's books (fourteen in total) in front of them, so that they could avoid looking at the real thing.

The rest of the class came clattering in, and Ron and Hermione sat down on either side of the twins.

"You could've fried an egg on your faces," said Ron. "You'd better hope Creevey doesn't met Ginny, or they'll be starting a Potter Twins fan club."

"Shut up," snapped Harry. The last thing he and Selena needed was for Lockhart to hear the phrase "Potter Twins fan club."

"Selena, I thought you were going use your powers on him." said Ron.

Selena growled, measuring about a centimetre between her thumb and forefinger. "I came _that_ close."

When the whole class was seated, Lockhart cleared his throat loudly and silence fell. He reached forward, picked up Neville Longbottom's copy of Travels with Trolls, and held it up to show his own, winking portrait on the front.

"Me," he said, pointing at it and winking as well. "Gilderoy Lockhart, Order or Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award – but I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her!"

He waited for them to laugh; a few people smiled weakly.

"I see you've all bought a complete set of my books – well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz. Nothing to worry about – just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in –"

When he had handed out the test paper he returned to the front of the class and said, "You have thirty minutes – start – now!" Harry and Selena looked down at their papers and read:

1\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?

2\. What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?

3\. What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?

On and on it went, over three sides of paper, right down to:

54\. When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?

" _I have something I would like to add to this quiz of his_ ," Selena said to Harry.

" _Yeah, what would that be_? _"_

" _What does this quiz have to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts_?"

Harry and Selena sniggered under their breaths.

Half an hour later, Lockhart collected the papers and rifled through them in front of the class.

"Tut, tut – hardly any of you remembered that my favourite colour is lilac. I say so in year with the Yeti. And a few of you need to read Wanderings with Werewolves more carefully – I clearly state in Chapter twelve that my ideal birthday gift would be harmony between all magic and non-magic peoples – though I wouldn't say no to a large bottle of Ogden's Old Firewhisky!"

He gave them another roguish wink. Ron was now staring at Lockhart with an expression of disbelief on his face; Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were sitting in front, were shaking with silent laughter. Hermione, on the other hand, was listening to Lockhart with a rapt attention and gave a start when he mentioned her name.

"…but Miss Hermione Granger knew my secret ambition is to rid the world of evil and market my own range of hair care potions – good girl! In fact –" he flipped her paper over " – full marks! Where is Miss Granger?"

Hermione raised a trembling hand.

"Excellent!" beamed Lockhart. "Quite excellent! Take ten points for Gryffindor!" Lockhart held up the next and final worksheet – read the answers and his bright beaming smile faded to a frown. "Okay, who's the one who wrote that my biggest ambition is to stop my head from floating away?"

The class sniggered loudly to themselves as a hand rose in the air. Lockhart narrowed his eyes at the Ravenclaw girl in the second row. "Five points from Ravenclaw, Evangeline."

Evan lowered her hand, glaring dangerously at Lockhart. Instantly, the class began to whisper. Last year, it was made a common knowledge among both staff and students that you didn't call Evan, Evangeline. Clearly, that was something that Lockhart had been not informed about. "Evan," she growled menacingly. "No one ever calls me that revolting name, Professor. Everyone knows that."

"B-But wouldn't a girl like yourself prefer a more feminine name?"

"No, I don't!" Evan snapped. "My name is Evan, remember that."

"Yes, yes, very well," Lockhart stammered, "now, on to business –"

He bent down behind his desk and lifted a large, covered cage onto it.

"Now – be warned! It is my job to arm you against the foulest creatures known to wizard-kind! You may find yourselves facing your worst fears in this room. Know only that no harm can befall you whilst I am here. All I ask is that you remain calm."

Dean and Seamus had stopped laughing now. Neville was cowering in his front row seat.

"I must ask you not to scream," said Lockhart in a low voice. "It might provoke them." As the whole class held its breath, Lockhart whipped off the cover.

"Yes," he said dramatically. "Freshly caught Cornish pixies."

Seamus Finnigan couldn't control himself. He let out a snort of laughter that even Lockhart couldn't mistake for a scream of terror.

"Yes?" he smiled at Seamus.

"Well, they're not – they're not very dangerous, are they?" Seamus choked.

"Don't be so sure!" said Lockhart, waggling a finger annoyingly at Seamus. "Devilish tricky little blighters they can be!"

The pixies were electric blue and about eight inches high, with pointed faces and voice so shrill it was like listening to a lot of budgies arguing. The moment the cover had been removed, they had started jabbering and rocketing around, rattling the bars and making bizarre faces at the people nearest them.

"Right then," Lockhart said loudly. "Let's see what you make of them!" And he opened the cage.

It was pandemonium. The pixies shot in every direction like rockets. Two of them seized Neville by the ears and lifted him into the air. Several shot straight through the window, showering the back row with broken glass. The rest proceeded to wreck the classroom more effectively than a rampaging rhino. They grabbed ink bottles and sprayed the class with them, shredded books and papers, tore pictures from walls, up ended the waste basket, grabbed bags and books and threw them out of the smashed window; within minutes, half the class was sheltered under desks and Neville was swinging from the iron chandelier in the ceiling.

"Come on now – round them up, round them up, they're only pixies," Lockhart shouted.

He rolled up his sleeves, brandished his wand, and bellowed, "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!"

It had absolutely no effect; one of the pixies seized his wand and threw it out of the window, too. Lockhart gulped and made eye contact with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena. "I'll ask you four to just nip the rest back into their cage." He stammered, before diving under his desk.

"What do we do now?" Ron shouted.

Hermione dug her hand into her pocket, whipped out her wand and bellowed: "IMMOBILOUS!"

The swarm of pixies froze in mid-air and the shaking students crawled out from under their desks, grabbed their bags and ran for the door. Veronica was loudly complaining about how the pixies had messed up her hair and she would have to do it again. Neville was still swinging on the chandelier. "Hang on Neville, I'll come and get you!" Selena shouted with a shake in her voice.

Neville yelped as Selena's powers when to work, gently removing him from the chandelier and setting him back on the ground. Neville only managed to utter out a whimpered thank you, before running out the classroom. Selena used her telekinesis to transfer the immobilized pixies into their cage and they all left the classroom in a huff. Evan was waiting outside for them and they walked down the corridor in a bad mood.

"Can you believe him?" roared Ron, as they watched Lockhart leave his classroom and head directly towards the staff room.

"He just wants to give us some hands-on experience," said Hermione.

"By letting those little monsters loose on us and expect us to know exactly what to do?" Evan said.

"Well… uhh…"

"Evan's right," said Harry. "Hermione, he didn't have a clue what he was doing –"

"Rubbish," said Hermione. "You've read his books – look at all those amazing things he's done –"

"Yeah, he says he's done," Selena muttered.


	7. Mudbloods and Murmurs

The waters of the Black Lake glowed a fiery orange in the setting sun. Over the day, the clouds had passed, and the sky had cleared an hour from dusk.

Selena made her way through the grassy bank towards the oak tree. A smile appeared on her face when she saw Draco waiting for her, sitting on one of the lower branches. "Hey Moonlight," he greeted as she walked up.

"Hey Dragon,"

"So," – Draco hopped off the branch and approached her – "you wanna explain what happened with the flying car?"

Selena nodded. "Hmm,"

They climbed onto the branch and Selena explained why they flew the car instead of taking the train. Draco was speechless.

"So yeah, now I have detention tomorrow night."

"That's insane,"

"Tell me about it,"

Draco looked down at her neck and saw the necklace he gave her last year. "You're wearing that necklace."

Selena giggled and blushed. "Yeah, couldn't stay separated from it."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"S-Selena," Draco finally spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

"Hmm?"

"I heard that you and Potter were giving out signed photos, how come I didn't get one,"

Selena gapped, her face flushed with anger. "We weren't – Lockhart – he –"

Draco laughed. "I'm joking, what's the deal with Lockhart anyway?"

"Oh, he thinks Harry and I are doing all these things for publicity, we tried to tell him we weren't, but he never lets us speak."

"Git,"

"Worse, then during DADA today, he realised pixies in the middle of class, _live_ pixies." she said with emphasis on the 'live'.

Draco's eyes widened. "That's mad! Tell me he at least gave you a brief explanation on how to handle pixies?"

Selena grimly shook her head.

Draco's jaw dropped.

"Wow…"

Selena's eyes lightened up. "I know!" she cried, "he didn't have a clue what he was doing, there's something up with that man and his 'achievements'" – she made air quotes – "that was can't place, but I definitely smell a fishy rat."

"I agree with you, it seems too good to be true. Even the bravest man on earth would be shaking if they were cornered in a telephone box by a werewolf, but Lockhart says he stayed calm throughout the whole thing." said Draco with a hint of secrecy. "I've got something to tell you Selena,"

She looked over at him expectantly. "Really? What is it?"

"I'm on the Slytherin Quidditch team, Seeker."

Selena gasped. "Draco that's incredible!" she cried, flinging her arms around his shoulders. "But how? Quidditch try outs aren't until tomorrow evening?"

"Practiced all summer, but after Terence quit, I really was the best one for the team, Flint said so himself. Father even bought me the latest broom that came out, a Nimbus Two Thousand and One. The whole teams got one."

"How did he manage to afford that?"

"Father's well known in the Magical Community, he has strong connections with the Ministry of Magic. Also I come from a wealthy family."

"Promise you'll play fair and _try_ to get along with Harry." Selena pleaded.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine," he said exasperated.

"Good, now about your Father. He didn't seem to like me when we met." Selena sighed, reminding Draco of the drama in Diagon Alley.

"Oh," Draco said, though it sounded more like a frightened whimper as he tried to find the right words. " _That_ – well – he, uhh… umm... yeah, you're right."

Selena nodded. "I don't need telepathy to know when someone hates me. I saw him drag you down into Knockturn Alley, what was he doing?"

"Selling, don't remember what, but he kept ranting on about how I shouldn't get too close to you. Keep the bloodline pure, he told me."

"But we're just friends," Selena reminded him, her face growing hot – then the fluttery feeling she felt whenever she was around him, returned even stronger.

"That's what I told him, but I don't think he believes me." Draco looked away from her, trying to hide the blush coming to his cheeks.

It was only when they realised that the sun had completely disappeared under the horizon and the stars were beginning to take its place they realised just how long they stayed out there. "It's getting dark, we have to go."

* * *

Harry and Selena spent a lot of time over the next few days dodging out of sight whenever either of them spotted Gilderoy Lockhart coming down a corridor. Harder to avoid was Colin Creevey, who seemed to have memorized Harry and Selena's schedule. Nothing seemed to give Colin a bigger thrill than to say, "All right, Harry? Hello Selena!" six or seven times a day and hear, "Hello, Colin," back, however exasperated Harry and Selena sounded when they said it.

Hedwig and Elvis were still angry with the twins about the disastrous car journey and Ron's wand was still malfunctioning, surpassing itself on Friday morning by shooting out of Ron's hand in Charms and hitting tiny old Professor Flitwick squarely between the eyes, creating a large, throbbing green boil where it had struck. So, with one thing and another, Harry and Selena were glad to reach the weekend. They, Ron, Hermione, Evan, Asha and Selena's roommates were planning to visit Hagrid on Saturday morning. Harry, however, was shaken awake several hours earlier than he would have liked by Oliver Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Whassamatter?" said Harry groggily.

"Quidditch practice!" said Wood. "Come on!"

Harry squinted at the window. There was a thin mist hanging across the pink and gold sky. Now that he awake, he couldn't understand how he could have slept through the racket the birds were making.

"Oliver," Harry croaked. "It's the crack of dawn."

"Exactly," said Wood. He was tall and burly sixth year and, at the moment, his eyes were gleaming with a crazed enthusiasm. "It's part of our new training program. Come on, grab your broom, and let's go," said wood heartily. "None of the other teams have started training yet; we're going to be first off the mark this year –"

Yawning and shivering slightly, Harry climbed out of bed and tried to find his Quidditch robes.

"Good man," said Wood. "Meet you on the field in fifteen minutes."

When he'd found his scarlet team robes and pulled on his cloak for warmth, Harry scribbled a note to Ron explaining where he'd gone and went down the spiral staircase to the common room, his Nimbus Two Thousand on his shoulder. He had just reached the portrait hole when there was a clatter behind him and Colin Creevey came dashing down the spiral staircase, his camera swinging madly his neck and something clutched in his hand.

"I heard someone saying your name on the stairs, Harry! Look what I've got here! I've had it developed, I wanted to show you –"

Harry looked bemusedly at the photograph Colin was brandishing under his nose.

A moving, black and white Lockhart was tugging hard on the arms Harry recognised as his own and Selena's. He was pleased to see that their photographic selves were putting up a good fight and refusing to be dragged into view. As Harry watched, Lockhart gave up and slumped, panting, against the white edge of the picture.

"Will you and your sister sign it?" said Colin eagerly.

"No," said Harry flatly, glancing around to check that the room was really deserted. "Sorry, Colin, I'm in a hurry and Selena would still be in bed – I have to go – Quidditch practice –"

He climbed through the portrait hole.

"Oh, wow! Wait for me! I've never watched a Quidditch game before!"

Colin scrambled through the hole after him.

"It'll be really boring," Harry said quickly, but Colin ignored him, his face shining with excitement.

"You were the youngest House player in a hundred years, weren't you, Harry? Weren't you?" said Colin, trotting alongside him. "You must be brilliant. I've never flown. Is it easy? Is that your own broom? Is that the best one there is?"

Harry didn't know how to get rid of him. It was like having an extremely talkative shadow.

"I don't really understand Quidditch," said Colin breathlessly. "Is it true there are four balls? And two of them fly around trying to knock people off their brooms?"

"Yes," said Harry heavily, resigned to explaining the complicated rules of Quidditch. "They're called Bludgers. There are two Beaters on each team who carry clubs to beat the Bludgers away from their side. Fred and George Weasley are the Gryffindor Beaters."

"And what are the other balls for?" Colin asked, tripping down a couple of steps because he was gazing open mouthed at Harry.

"Well, the Quaffle – that's the biggish red one – is the one that scores goals. Three Chasers on each team throw the Quaffle to each other and try and get it through the goal posts at the end of the pitch – they're three long poles with hoops on the end."

"And the fourth ball –"

"is the Golden Snitch," said Harry, "and it's very small, very fast, and difficult to catch. But that's what the Seeker's got to do, because a game of Quidditch doesn't end until the Snitch has been caught. And whichever team's Seeker gets the Snitch earns his team an extra hundred and fifty points."

"And you're the Gryffindor Seeker, aren't you?" said Colin in awe.

"Yes," said Harry as they left the castle and started across the dew-drenched grass. "And there's the Keeper, too. He guards the goal posts. That's it, really."

But Colin didn't stop questioning Harry all the way down the sloping lawns to the Quidditch field, and Harry only shook him off when he reached the changing rooms; Colin called after him in a piping voice, "I'll go and get a good seat, Harry!" and hurried off to the stands.

The rest of the Gryffindor team were already in the changing room. Wood was the only person who looked truly awake. Fred and George Weasley were sitting, puffy eyed and tousle haired, next to fourth year Alicia Spinnet, who seemed to be nodding off against the wall behind her. Her fellow Chasers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, were yawning side by side opposite them.

"There you are, Harry, what kept you?" said Wood briskly. "Now, I wanted a quick talk with you all before we actually get onto the field, because I spent the summer devising a whole new training program, which I really think will make all the difference…"

Wood was holding up a large diagram of a Quidditch field, on which were drawn many lines, arrows, and crosses in different coloured inks. He took out his wand, tapped the board, and the arrows began to wiggle over the diagram like caterpillars. As Wood launched into a speech about his new tactics, Fred Weasley's head drooped right onto Alicia Spinnet's shoulder and he began to snore.

The first board took nearly twenty minutes to explain, but there was another board under that, and a third under that one. Harry sank into a stupor as Wood droned and on.

"So," said Wood, at long last, jerking Harry from a wistful fantasy about what he could be eating for breakfast at this very moment up at the castle. He grew jealous knowing that Selena would most likely be doing that just now. "Is that clear? Any questions?"

"I've got a question, Oliver," said George, who had woken with a start. "Why couldn't you have told us all this yesterday when we were awake?"

Wood wasn't pleased.

"Now, listen here, you lot," he said, glowering at them all. "We should have won the Quidditch cup last year. We're easily the best team. But unfortunately – due to circumstances beyond our control –"

Harry shifted guiltily in his seat. He along with Selena had been unconscious in the hospital wing for the final match of the previous year, meaning that Gryffindor had been a player short and had suffered their worst defeat in three hundred years.

Wood took a moment to regain control of himself. Their last defeat was clearly still torturing him.

"So, this year, we train harder than ever before… okay, let's go and put our new theories in practice!" Wood shouted, seizing his broomstick and leading the way out of the locker rooms. Stiff legged and still yawning, his team followed.

They had been in the locker room so long that the sun was up completely now, although remnants of mist hung over the grass in the stadium. Harry mounted his broomstick and kicked at the ground, soaring up into the air. The cool morning air whipped his face, waking him far more effectively than Wood's long talk. It felt wonderful to be back on the Quidditch field. He soared right around the stadium at full speed, racing Fred and George.

"What's that funny clicking noise?" called Fred as they hurtled around the corner.

Harry looked into the stands. Colin was sitting in one of the highest seats, his camera raised, taking picture after picture, the sound strangely magnified in the deserted stadium.

"Look this way, Harry! This way!" he cried shrilly.

"Who's that?" said Fred.

"No idea," Harry lied, putting on a spurt of speed that took him as far away as possible from Colin.

"What's going on?" said Wood, frowning, as he skimmed through the air toward them. "Why's that first year taking pictures?" I don't like it. He could be a Slytherin spy, trying to find out about our new training program."

"He's in Gryffindor," said Harry quickly.

"And the Slytherins don't need a spy, Oliver," said George.

"What makes you say that?" said Wood testily.

"Because they're here in person," said George, pointing.

Several people in green robes were walking onto the field, broomsticks in their hands.

"I don't believe it!" Wood hissed in outrage. "I booked the field for Gryffindor today. We shall see about this!"

Wood shot toward the ground, landing rather harder than he meant to in his anger, staggering slightly as he dismounted. Harry, Fred and George followed.

"Flint!" Wood bellowed at the Slytherin Captain. "This is our practice time! We got up especially! You can clear off now!"

Marcus Flint was even large than Wood. He had a look of trollish cunning on his face as he replied, "Plenty of room for all of us, Wood."

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie had come over, too. There were no girls on the Slytherin team, who stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the Gryffindors, leering to a man.

"But I booked the field!" said Wood, positively spitting with rage. "I booked it!"

"Ah," said Flint. "But I've got a specially signed note here from Professor Snape."

"I, Professor S. Snape, give the Slytherin team permission to practice today on the Quidditch field owing the need to train their new Seeker."

"You've got a new Seeker?" said Wood, distracted. "Where?"

And from behind the six large figures before them came a smirking Draco Malfoy.

"Aren't you Lucius Malfoy's son?" said Fred, looking at Malfoy with dislike.

"Funny you should mention Draco's father," said Flint as the whole Slytherin team smiled still more broadly. "Let me show you the generous gift he's made to the Slytherin team."

All seven of them held out their broomsticks. Seven highly polished, brand new handles and seven sets of fine gold lettering spelling the words Nimbus Two Thousand and One gleamed under the Gryffindors' noses in the early morning sun.

"Very latest model. Only came out last month," said Flint carelessly, flicking a speck of dust from the end of his own. "I believe it outstrips the old Two Thousand series by a considerable amount. As for the old Cleansweeps" – he smiled nastily at Fred and George, who were both clutching Cleansweep Fives – "sweeps the board with them."

None of the Gryffindor team could think of anything to say for a moment. Only Harry seemed to notice the delicious smell in the distance.

"Oh, look," said Flint. "A field invasion." Selena, Ron, Hermione, Vanessa, Evan and Asha were crossing the grass towards the two bickering teams. Selena, Evan, Vanessa and Asha were carrying small trays of croissants, bagels, sliced fruit and a teapot full of steaming green tea, along with tea cups. Now Harry knew where that delicious smell was coming from.

"Breakfast actually," Selena muttered, as the teams eagerly helped themselves. She turned around and glared at Flint. "You're welcome," she said in a sarcastic tone.

"What's happening?" Ron asked Harry. "Why aren't you playing? And what's he doing here?" He was looking at Malfoy, taking in his Slytherin Quidditch robes.

"Draco's the new Slytherin Seeker, Ron," said Selena, walking back over to the group.

"Everyone's just been admiring the brooms my Father's bought our team." Draco said, smugly.

Ron gaped, open mouthed, at the seven superb broomsticks in the front of him.

"Good, aren't they?" said Draco smoothly.

"Okay Draco, there's no need to be a show off." Selena said, patting him on the shoulder.

"This girl a friend of yours Draco?" asked Adrian Pucey.

"Yes, Selena's my friend Adrian," said Draco, a faint blush just visible on his cheeks. Selena smiled brightly, her face hot and red as her hair, but no one seemed to be paying attention as Marcus Flint said. "Perhaps the Gryffindor team should raise some gold and get new brooms, too. You could raffle off those Cleansweep Fives; I expect a museum would bid for them." The Slytherin team howled with laughter.

"At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in," said Hermione sharply. "They got in on pure talent."

Selena's jaw dropped. Hermione had shocked her with that statement of false fact. Draco didn't get picked for his House Team by buying his way in.

Draco's expression changed to one of fury, like that time he had made fun of Harry on the Hogwarts Express last year. "Draco! Don't do anything stupid!" Selena stammered, but he didn't hear her.

"No one asked your opinion, you filthy little Mudblood," he spat at Hermione.

Harry and Selena knew at once that Malfoy had said something really bad because there was an instant uproar at his words. Flint had to dive in front of Malfoy to stop Fred and George jumping on him, Alicia shrieked, "How dare you!", "DRACO MALFOY!" Vanessa, Evan and Asha all shouted; and Ron plunged his hand into his robes, pulled out his wand, yelling, "You'll pay for that one, Malfoy!" and pointed it furiously under Flint's arm at Malfoy's face.

A loud bang echoed around the stadium and a jet of green light shot out of the wrong end of Ron's wand, hitting him in the stomach and sending him reeling backward onto the grass.

"Ron! Ron! Are you alright?" squealed Hermione.

Ron opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he gave an almighty belch and several slugs dribbled out of his mouth onto his lap.

The Slytherin team were paralysed with laughter. Flint was doubled up, hanging onto his new broomstick for support. Adrian was on all fours, banging the ground with his fist. The Gryffindors were gathered around Ron, who kept belching large, glistening slugs. Nobody seemed to want to touch him.

"Shut up you, vile snakes!" Evan snapped at the Slytherin team.

"Who you calling vile, gay girl?" Flint sneered, still breaking out a chuckle.

"She's pan, you idiot." Vanessa snapped, "she's pan and she's damn proud, you troll-faced slag!"

Flint looked ready to snap Vanessa in two.

"Why is everyone standing around like lumps? We need to get him to the Hospital Wing!" Asha cried, still holding her tray.

"No, let's go to Hagrid's, it's nearest," said Harry to Selena, who nodded bravely, and with some assistance from Hermione pulled Ron up by the arms.

"What happened, Harry? What happened? Is he ill? But you can cure him, can't you?" Colin had run down from his seat and was now dancing alongside them as they left the field. Ron gave a huge heave and more slugs dribbled down his front.

"Oooh," said Colin, fascinated and raising his camera. "Can you hold him still, Harry? Selena why is he doing that?"

"Get outta the way, Colin!" said Harry angrily.

Selena floated the trays of food over to the entrance to the changing rooms with telekinesis and set them down on the bench outside the door. "The team can help themselves," she hollered to Wood, "I'll be back in a minute."

She, Harry and Hermione supported Ron out of the stadium and across the grounds toward the edge of the forest, pursued by Vanessa, Evan and Asha.

"Nearly there, Ron," said Hermione as the gamekeeper's cabin came into view. "You'll be alright in a minute – almost there –"

They were within twenty feet of Hagrid's house when the front door opened, but it wasn't Hagrid who emerged. Gilderoy Lockhart, wearing robes of the palest mauve today, came striding out.

"Quick, behind here," Harry and Selena hissed, dragging Ron behind a nearby bush. Vanessa, Evan and Asha duck behind the bush as well. Hermione was the last to join the, somewhat reluctantly.

"It's a simple matter if you know what you're doing!" Lockhart was saying loudly to Hagrid. "if you need help, you know where I am! I'll let you have a copy of my book. I'm surprised you haven't already got one – I'll sign one tonight and send it over. Well, good bye!" And he strode away toward the castle.

"What the bloody hell did he want with Hagrid?" Evan asked.

"Who knows, but he's gone now – come on, let's go." said Selena.

Once they saw that Lockhart was no more than a tiny mauve dot in the distance, they pulled Ron out of the bush and up to Hagrid's front door. They knocked urgently.

Hagrid appeared at once, looking very grumpy, but his expression brightened when he saw who it was.

"Bin wonderin' when you'd come ter see me – come in, come in – though you mighta bin Professor Lockhart back again – alright, Vanessa, Evan, Asha? Haven't seen yeh for so long. How yeh three bin?"

"We're doing great, but I think we have bigger things to worry about." Vanessa explained grimacing at Ron, who had gone a pale grey.

Harry, Hermione and Selena supported Ron over the threshold into the one-roomed cabin, which had an enormous bed in one corner, a fire crackling merrily in the other. Hagrid didn't seem perturbed by Ron's slug problem, which Harry hastily explained as he lowered Ron into a chair.

"Better out than in," he said cheerfully, plunking a large copper basin in front of him. "Get 'em all up, Ron."

"I don't think there's anything to do except wait for it to stop," said Hermione anxiously, watching Ron bend over the basin. "That's a difficult curse to work at the best of times, but with a broken wand –"

Hagrid was bustling around making them all tea. His boarhound, Fang, was slobbering all over Vanessa, Evan and Asha.

"What did Lockhart want with you, Hagrid?" Evan asked, scratching Fang's ears.

"Givin' me advice on getting' kelpies out of a well," growled Hagrid, moving a half-plucked rooster off his scrubbed table and setting down the teapot.

"Like I don' know. An' bangin' on about some banshee he banished. If one word of it was true, I'll eat my kettle."

Evan gave a snort. "You're telling me,"

"I think that fiasco with the pixies was enough to prove himself worthless." said Selena.

It was most unlike Hagrid to criticize a Hogwarts' teacher, and the twins looked at him in surprise. Hermione, however, said in a voice somewhat higher than usual, "I think you're all being a bit unfair. Professor Dumbledore obviously thought he was the best man for the job –"

"He was the on'y man for the job," said Hagrid, offering them a plate of treacle fudge, while Ron coughed squelchily into his basin. "An' I mean the on'y one. Getting' very difficult ter find anyone fer the Dark Arts job. People aren't too keen ter take it on, see. They're startin' ter think it's jinxed. No one's lasted long fer a while now. So tell me," said Hagrid, jerking his head at Ron. "Who was he tryin' ter curse?"

"Malfoy, he called Hermione something – it must've been really bad, because everyone went wild."

"It was bad," said Evan, rather tensely. "Draco called her 'Mudblood,' Hagrid –"

Hagrid looked outraged.

"He did not!" he growled at Hermione.

"He did," she said. "But I don't know what it means. I could tell it was really rude, of course –"

"It was about the most insulting thing anyone can think of," growled Asha. "Mudblood's a really foul name for someone who is Muggle-born – you know, non-magic parents. There are some wizards out there – like Draco's father – who think they're better than everyone else because they're what people call pureblood."

"We're forbidden from uttering the term in our family, because both our fathers are Muggle-borns." said Evan and Vanessa.

Vanessa nodded. "I mean, the rest of us know it doesn't make any difference at all. Look at Neville Longbottom – he's a pureblood and he can hardly stand a cauldron the right way up."

"An' they haven't invented a spell our Hermione can' do," said Hagrid proudly, making Hermione go a brilliant shade of magenta.

Ron doubled over in the basin, retched up seven or eight slugs before coming back up again. "It's disgusting," he uttered as Selena wiped his sweaty brow. "Dirty blood, see. Common blood. It's ridiculous. Most wizards these days are half-blood anyway. If we hadn't married Muggles we'd've died out." He retched again and ducked out of sight.

"Well, I don' blame yeh fer tryin' ter curse him, Ron," said Hagrid loudly over the thuds of more slugs hitting the basin. "Bu' maybe it was a good thing yer wand backfired. 'Spect Lucius Malfoy would've come marchin' up ter school if yeh'd cursed his son. Least yer not in trouble."

Selena would've said something in Draco's defence, but she couldn't; Hagrid's treacle fudge had cemented her jaws together. She looked over at Harry and sniggered in her mouth because the same thing had happened to him.

"Harry, Selena," said Hagrid abruptly as though struck by a sudden thought. "Gotta bone ter pick with yeh. I've heard you've bin givin' out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?"

Furious, Selena and Harry wrenched their teeth apart.

"We have not been giving out signed photos," they said hotly. "If Lockhart's still spreading that dung around –" But then they saw that Hagrid was laughing.

"I'm only jokin'," he said, patting them genially on the back and sending them face first into the table. "I knew yeh two hadn't really. I told Lockhart yeh didn' need teh. The two of yeh are more famous than him without tryin'."

"Bet he didn't like that," said Harry, sitting up and rubbing his chin.

"Don' think he did," said Hagrid, his eyes twinkling. "an' then I told him I'd never read one o' his books an' he decided ter go. Treacle Fudge, Ron?" he added as Ron appeared.

"No thanks," said Ron weakly. "Better not risk it."

"Come an' see what I've bin growin'," said Hagrid as Harry, Hermione, Selena, Vanessa, Evan and Asha finished the last of their tea.

In the small vegetable patch behind Hagrid's house were a dozen of the largest pumpkins the twins had ever seen. Each was the size of a large boulder.

"Getting' on well, aren't they?" said Hagrid happily. "Fer the Halloween feast… should be big enough by then."

"What've you been feeding them?" said Harry.

Hagrid looked over his shoulder to check that they were alone.

"Well, I've bin givin' them – you know – a bit o' help –"

Harry and Selena noticed Hagrid's pink umbrella leaning against the back wall of the cabin. Harry and Selena had reason to believe that this umbrella concealed Hagrid's old school wand. Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic. He had been expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, but they never found out why – any mention of the matter and Hagrid would clear his throat loudly and become mysteriously deaf until the subject was changed.

"An Engorgement Charm, I suppose?" said Hermione, halfway between disapproval and amusement. "Well, you've done a good job on them."

"That's what yer little sister said," said Hagrid, nodding at Ron. "Met her jus' yesterday." Hagrid looked sideways at Harry, his beard twitching. "Said she was jus' lookin round the grounds, but I reckon she was hopin' she might run inter someone else at my house." He winked at Harry. "If yeh ask me, she wouldn' say no ter a signed –"

"Oh, shut up," said Harry.

"If I ever hear someone say 'signed photo' again, they'll be the ones getting cursed – _for a week_!" Selena muttered. Harry knew she was mostly likely bluffing, but the tension in Selena's voice made him question that logic.

Ron snorted with laughter and the ground was sprayed with slugs.

"Watch it!" Hagrid roared, pulling Ron away from his precious pumpkins.

It was nearly lunchtime and as Harry only had one bagel and a bit of treacle fudge since dawn, he was keen to go back to the school to eat. They said good bye to Hagrid and walked back up to the castle, Ron hiccoughing occasionally, but only bringing up two very small slugs. The food trays the girls had brought down were enchanted and were already in the kitchens with the other dirty dishes.

They had barely set foot in the cool entrance hall when a voice rang out, "There you are, Potters – Weasley." Professor McGonagall was walking toward them, looking stern. "You three will do your detentions this evening."

"What're we doing, Professor?" said Ron, nervously suppressing a burp.

"You will be polishing the silver in the trophy room with Mr. Filch," said Professor McGonagall. "And no magic, Weasley – elbow grease."

Ron gulped. Argus Filch, the caretaker, was loathed by every student in the school. Vanessa, Evan and Asha shot Ron looks of 'good luck' and 'sorry'.

"And you two, Mr. and Ms. Potter, will be helping Professor Lockhart answer his fan mail," said Professor McGonagall.

"Oh no – Professor, can't we go and do the trophy room, too?" said the twins desperately.

"Certainly not," said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "Professor Lockhart requested you two particularly. Eight o'clock sharp, all three of you."

Harry, Ron and Selena slouched into the Great hall in states of deepest gloom, Hermione behind them, wearing a well-you-did-break-school-rules sort of expression. Harry couldn't enjoy his Shepard's pie as much as he wanted. He, Selena and Ron felt they'd got the worse deal.

"Filch'll have me there all night," said Ron heavily. "No magic! There must be about a hundred cups in that room. I'm no good at Muggle cleaning."

"We'd swap anytime," said Selena hollowly. "We've had loads of practice with the Dursleys. Answering Lockhart's fan mail… I just might throw myself into the Black Lake during November."

"You'd freeze though," said Asha.

"Not only that, there's all kinds of nasty creatures in those waters. Kelpies, Merpeople, the Giant Squid and the actual Loch Ness Monster at one point, so I've heard." Evan exclaimed.

"I think I'd take the Loch Ness Monster rather than detention with Lockhart." said Selena grimly.

* * *

Saturday afternoon seemed to melt away, and in what seemed like no time, it was five minutes to eight, and the Potter Twins were dragging their feet along the second-floor corridor to Lockhart's office. Harry gritted his teeth and Selena let out an annoyed groan as Harry knocked.

The door flew open at once. Lockhart beamed down at them.

"Ah, here's the scallywags!" he said. "Come in, Harry and Selena, come in –"

Shining brightly on the walls by the light of many candles were countless framed photographs of Lockhart. He had even signed a few of them. Another large pile lay on his desk.

"You two can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told them, as though this was a huge treat. "This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her – huge fan of mine –"

The minutes snailed by. Harry and Selena let Lockhart's voice wash over them, occasionally saying, "Mmm," and "Right" and "Yeah." Now and then they caught a phrase like, "Fame's a fickle friend, Potters," or "Celebrity is as celebrity does, remember that."

The candles burned lower and lower, making the light dance over the many moving faces of Lockhart watching them. Selena moved her aching hand over what felt like the thousandth envelope, writing out Veronica Smethley's address. It must be nearly time to leave, Harry thought miserably, please let it be nearly time…

And then they heard something – something quite apart from the spitting of the dying candles and Lockhart's prattle about his fans.

It was a voice, a voice to chill the bone marrow, a voice of breathtaking, ice cold venom.

" _Come… come to me… let me rip you… let me tear you… let me kill you_ …"

Harry and Selena gave a huge jump and a large lilac blot appeared on Veronica Smethley's street.

"What?" they said loudly.

"I know!" said Lockhart. "Six solid months at the top of the bestseller list! Broke all records!"

"No," said Harry frantically. "That voice!"

"Sorry?" said Lockhart, looking puzzled. "What voice?"

"That – that voice that said – didn't you hear it?"

Selena tugged on Harry's sleeve with the same shocked expression on her face. "I heard it too! It said: _Come to me_. You must have heard it, Professor!"

Lockhart was looking at the twins in high astonishment.

"What are you talking about, Potters? Perhaps you're getting a little drowsy? Great Scott – look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it – the time's flown, hasn't it?"

Neither Harry or Selena answered. They were still straining their ears to hear the voice again, but there was no sound now except for Lockhart telling them they mustn't expect a treat like this every time they got detention. Feeling dazed, the twins left.

It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. Harry and Selena went straight up to their dormitories. Ron wasn't back yet. Harry pulled on his pyjamas, got into bed, and waited. Selena came into the boy's dormitory in her polka dot pyjamas, sat down next to Harry and they waited together for Ron to show. Half an hour later, Ron arrived, nursing his right arm and bringing a strong smell of polish into the darkened room.

"My muscles have all seized up," he groaned, sinking on his bed. He hadn't noticed Selena. "Fourteen times he made me buff up that Quidditch cup before he was satisfied. And then I had another slug attack all over a Special Award for the Services to the School. Took ages to get the slime off… How was it with Lockhart?"

Keeping her voice low so as not to wake Neville, Dean, and Seamus, Selena made her presence known. "He was a nightmare, but that's not what this is all about."

Ron suddenly felt wide awake when he noticed Selena sitting next to Harry on his bed. "Selena? Why aren't you up in your dorm?"

"Because there's something we both need to tell you," Harry explained for her.

So the twins told Ron exactly what they had heard and what it had said.

"And Lockhart said he couldn't hear it when you two could?" said Ron. Harry and Selena could see him frowning in the moonlight. "D'you think he was lying?"

Selena shook her head as she stood up and walked into the doorway, ready to leave. "Don't think so, he seemed genuinely confused."

"But I don't get it – even if someone was invisible would've had to open the door." Ron said.

"I know," said Harry, lying back in his four-poster and staring at the canopy above him.

"We don't get it either." said Selena as she walked up towards the girl's dormitory.


	8. The Deathday Party

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the ground and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward. Ginny Weasley, who had been looking pale, was bullied into taking some by Percy. The steam pouring from under her vivid hair gave the impression that her whole head was on fire. Raindrops the size of bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake froze, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid's pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.

Selena was still trying to wrap her head around what Draco had called Hermione. They couldn't meet at their usual spot because of the weather and the corridors and classrooms were often packed with one or two people, so there wasn't any private spot where they could talk face to face. She considered sending him another letter with Adeline's owl Oracle, but she wanted a solid, honest answer that wasn't written on a sheet of parchment.

Come to think of it, Selena noticed that Draco was being very distant from her lately, ever since that one Saturday morning. He didn't say much to her in lessons and he wasn't answering her letters. Perhaps he was ashamed of what he had said to Hermione. But why would he called Hermione 'Mudblood' when he clearly knew what it meant to call someone that name. Selena had so many questions and very little answers to her problems. She could've used her telepathy on Draco, but he trusted her too much for her to use it on him. If his reason was something personal, it wouldn't be right for her to look into his mind like a peeping tom. It would be better for him to talk to her face than have her read his mind like a book. But all the same, Selena was growing worried.

Draco crumpled up Selena's seventh letter and tossed into the corner of the Slytherin Second Year Boys dormitory. Blaise Zabini watched his friend like a hawk, eyes narrowed, and disapproving look on his face. Draco had been like this for over four weeks and it was getting on his nerves. "Enough!" he snapped, shoving Draco into a sitting position on his bed. "Draco, what's going on with you? Why are you crumpling up Selena's letters!"

Draco looked away from him, feeling sick to his stomach. "I made a mistake Blaise, a big one."

Blaise sat down in front of Draco. "What happened?" he asked worriedly. "What's the problem?"

Draco felt terrible. Why did he have to utter that word in front of Selena. Why did his father even teach it to him?

He looked up at Blaise like a beggar child denied something. "You know that Granger girl,"

"Yes, she's the Mudblood that's always hanging around Potter and Weasley? What about her?"

Draco growled. "Don't say that word! That's exactly the problem! I called Granger a Mudblood in front of Selena!"

Anyone who had been watching the scene would've thought that Blaise's eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. "That's what this is all about? You know that Selena is most likely not going to know what the term Mudblood means?"

"And what if she does, she's known about the Magical Community for a year."

"Did she react at all that day?"

Draco frowned, trying to remember what had happened that morning. "No, but her friends did. She and Potter just stood there, confused."

"Well there you have it, Selena has never heard the term before and neither has Potter."

"But when she finds out what I called Granger –"

"You're over thinking this!"

"You don't understand, I'm going to lose her!"

Blaise's eyes widened, and he smirked. "Oh?"

Draco looked away from him, his face a brighter red than Selena's hair.

"You didn't hear that!"

"I'm afraid I did, do you fancy Selena? For real?"

"I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Dray… I know you better than that."

"No!"

"Cut the crap Draco, you're not fooling anyone. It's why your so upset isn't it. You've uttered the term 'Mudblood' several times before and you never shuddered once. Selena's changed you dude, we've all noticed. Me, Pansy, Theo; hell… even Crabbe and Goyle have noticed and that saying something. You're scared of losing the only light of your life, or should I say, the _love_ of your life."

"Selena is not the love of my life! Mate, we're too young for that sort of love."

Blaise narrowed his eyes. "I'm not the one who nearly fainted on the spot when he learned that she was in the hospital wing."

Draco let out a frustrated yell. "Blaise, I don't have any idea what to do. She probably thinks I'm ignoring me."

"You worry about her?" Blaise smirked. "You do fancy her."

Draco then let out a chuckle.

Blaise raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"That's a bit rich coming from you, what about Adeline?"

"Pardon?"

"Didn't you two help each other when I fainted after I learned Selena was in the hospital wing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You fancy Adeline Knotley, don't you?"

Blaise cleared his throat, trying to hide his blush. "Draco, focus. This is about you, not me."

"Fine, fine, I was just messing with you. Unless there really is something between you and Knotley."

Blaise took a swipe at Draco, who dodged it as if it were a Bludger.

"Zip it!" Blaise roared. "This is about Selena, yeah? Don't you think a girl like her would forgive you, she's done it before?"

Draco felt like slapping himself in the forehead. He had forgotten how quick Selena was to forgive him after he cursed Neville Longbottom as a joke. But then he remembered how he had made a promise that he would be a better person for her. The terrible feeling returned at once.

"I broke my promise to her. After I cursed Longbottom last year, Selena made me promise her to try and be a better person."

"I see, but are you really going to throw yourself a pity party?" said Blaise growing determined. "You're never going to fix this mess if you sit around and wait for it to magically fix itself for you. Yes, we're wizards and all, but even magic can't solve all our problems. You're a Malfoy for Salazar's sake, get your sorry arse up there and go talk to her. Gryffindor's are always heading up to the common room this time of day."

A genuine smile began to creep over the young Malfoy's lips. "Thanks mate, I appreciate that." He said, clapping Blaise on the shoulder.

As luck would have it for Draco he didn't have to head up to Gryffindor Tower because he found Selena sitting alone outside the charms classroom, writing on a sheet of parchment. It was strange to see her without Harry or her friends with her. She noticed him walking towards him and she shot up like a bullet, stuffing the parchment and quill out of sight. "Draco!"

"Hey…" he said quietly.

Draco nearly fell back on his haunches when Selena threw her arms around him, her voice full of joy and excitement. "Why haven't you been answering my letters? I've been sorry worried about you."

Draco's jaw dropped. Even though he knew Selena was a forgiving person, he expected her to at least give him a lecture like last time, but instead she was happy to see him.

"You're happy to see me?" he asked

Selena nodded her head. "Yes, I am. I was so worried about you, Dragon. Care to explain why you called Hermione a 'Mudblood'?" her voice was suddenly stern and firm.

A lump began to rise in Draco's throat. He knew he shouldn't have lost his temper that day. Mix that with everything his father had taught him to become, he might as well enjoy the last few moments he had Selena as a friend. "I lost my temper, but I regretted it. My father, he's the one who taught me to use the term Mudblood instead of Muggle-borns." He started the explain.

Selena was a good listener. She nodded in all the right places, never losing her reassuring gaze. It was actions like this which made Draco fall in love with her again and again, but he pushed those feelings into the back of his head. It would be better that way, save them for when they were older and wiser.

"I see," she said, once he had finished, "why do you do what your father wants? I mean, why do you copy him?" she asked.

"Because – because, he –" but Draco couldn't bring himself to bring it up. "I don't know how. He just wants me to follow in his footsteps. So I do, though I hate doing it. I'm sorry Selena, I know you made me promise I'd be a better person, but my Father pressures me to say those things." He broke off, really physically sick to the stomach.

Selena nodded. She could tell Draco was finding it hard to explain to her, so she figured it was something difficult for him to bring up. "I forgive you Draco. I know that you're trying, and these things take time. Just don't use that word again, now that I know what it means."

Draco smiled weakly at her. "Shake on it?" he said, holding out his hand.

Selena grinned, remembering a situation like this on the Hogwarts Express. "This incident never happened." she said, shaking his head.

Draco felt the sweet, welcoming wave of relief wash over him. Damn this girl was going to be the death of him one day.

* * *

Oliver Wood's enthusiasm for regular training sessions, however, was not dampened, which was why Harry was to be found, late one stormy Saturday afternoon a few days before Halloween, returning to Gryffindor Tower, drenched to the skin and splattered with mud.

Even aside from the rain and wind it hadn't been a happy practice session. Fred and George, who had been spying on the Slytherin team, had seen for themselves the speed of those new Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. They reported that the Slytherin team was no more than seven greenish blurs, shooting through the air like missiles. "Hello Harry," came a voice from behind a column of stone. Harry turned around and saw Selena trotting towards him. "Difficult practice at all?"

"Not at all, but Fred and George said that the Slytherins are like speeding bullets on those Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones. Have you been waiting there for long?"

She shook her head. "No, but you really need a bath Harry. You're all muddy."

"What was that?" Harry laughed, tackling Selena and smearing her robes with mud as she squealed in a high-pitched voice.

She wrenched herself away – mouth open and covered in mud and rain. Harry laughed out loud at how mad she looked. She looked ready to explode.

"Harry James Potter!" she snapped.

"Now you need a bath Lena." He chortled.

Selena flicked mud off her robes the best she could, glaring daggers at her brother.

As Harry squelched along the deserted corridor, with Selena still fuming at him, they came across somebody who looked as a preoccupied as they were. Nearly Headless Nick, the ghost of the Gryffindor Tower, was staring morosely out of a window, muttering under his breath, "…don't fulfil their requirements… half an inch, if that…"

"Hello, Nick," said Harry.

"Afternoon, Sir Nicholas," said Selena.

"Hello, hello," said Nearly Headless Nick, starting and looking around. He wore a dashing, plumed hat on his long curly hair, and a tunic with a ruff, which concealed the fact that his neck was almost completely severed. He was pale as smoke, and the twins could see through him to the dark sky and torrential rain outside.

"You look troubled, young Potters," said Nick, folding a transparent letter as he spoke and tucking it inside his doublet.

"So do you," said Harry.

"Ah," Nearly Headless Nick waved an elegant hand, "a matter of no importance… It's not as though I really wanted to join… Thought I'd apply, but apparently I 'don't' fulfil requirements."

In spite of is airy tone, there was a look of great bitterness on his face.

Selena nodded her head, having figured what was mostly likely the bother.

"Has your request to join the Headless Hunt been denied again?"

"Precisely! But you would think, wouldn't you," he erupted suddenly, pulling the letter back out of his pocket, "that getting hit forty times in the neck with a blunt axe would qualify you to join the Headless Hunt?"

"Oh – yes," said Harry, who was obviously supposed to agree.

"I mean, nobody wishes more than I do that it had all been quick and clean, and my head at come off properly, I mean, it would have saved me a great deal of pain and ridicule. However –" Nearly Headless Nick shook his letter open and read furiously:

"'We can only accept huntsmen whose heads have been parted completely with their bodies. You will appreciate that it would be impossible otherwise for members to participate in the hunt activities such as Horseback Head Juggling and Head Polo. It is with the greatest regret, therefore, that I must inform you that you do not fulfil our requirements. With very best wishes, Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.'"

Fuming, Nearly Headless Nick stuffed the letter away.

"Half an inch of skin and sinew holding my neck on, Potters! Most people would think that's good and beheaded, but oh, no, it's not enough for Sir Properly Decapitated Podmore."

Nearly Headless Nick took several deep breaths and then said, in a far calmer tone, "So – what's bothering you two? Anything I can do?"

"No," said Harry. "Not unless you know where we can get seven free Nimbus Two Thousand and Ones for our match against Slytherin."

"Harry, you don't need fancy new broomsticks to beat Slytherin at Quidditch, just be a good sport and do your best. Winning isn't everything, no matter what Wood tells you." said Selena.

"Selena's right Harry, you don't need to have the latest broomstick model to help you against Slytherin. Now, why are you covered in mud Selena, I know you're not on the house team."

Selena narrowed a glare at Harry. "Harry thought it would be funny to tackle me and get his mess all over me."

Nearly Headless Nick let out a burst of laughter, that Harry joined in with. "How like a twin brother!" Nick laughed.

Selena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, but thanks to Harry, I now need a ba–"

The rest of Selena's sentence was drowned out by a high-pitched mewing from somewhere near her ankles. She looked down and found herself gazing into a pair of lamp like yellow eyes. It was Mrs. Norris, a skeletal grey cat who was sued by the caretaker, Argus Filch, as a sort of deputy in his endless battle against students.

"You'd better get out of here, Potters," said Nick quickly. "Filch isn't in a good mood – he's got the flu and some third years accidentally plastered frog brains all over the ceiling in dungeon five. He's been cleaning all morning, and if he sees you dripping mud all over the place –"

"Right," said the twins, backing away from the accusing stare of Mrs. Norris, but not quickly enough. Drawn to the spot by the mysterious power that seemed to connect him with his foul cat, Argus Filch burst suddenly through a tapestry to Harry's right, wheezing and looking wildly about for the rulebreaker. There was a thick tartan scarf bound around his head, and his nose was unusually purple.

"Filth!" he shouted, his jowls aquiver, his eyes popping alarmingly as he pointed at the muddy puddle that had dripped from Harry's Quidditch robes. "Mess and muck everywhere! I've had enough of it, I tell you! Follow me, Potters!"

So the twins waved a gloomy good bye to Nearly Headless Nick and followed Filch back downstairs, doubling the number of muddy footprints on the floor. Neither Harry or Selena had seen Filch's office before; it was a place most students avoided. The room was dingy and windowless, lit by a single oil lamp dangling from the low ceiling. A faint smell of fried fish lingered about the place. Wooden filing cabinets stood around the walls; from their labels, Harry and Selena could that they contained details of every pupil Filch had ever punished. Fred and George had an entire drawer to themselves. A highly polished collection of chains and manacles hung on the wall behind Filch's desk.

It was common knowledge that he was always begging Dumbledore to let him suspend students by their ankles from the ceiling.

Filch grabbed a quill from a pot in his desk and began shuffling around looking for parchment.

"Dung," he muttered furiously, "great sizzling dragon bogies… frog brains… rat intestines… I've had enough of it… make an example… where's the form… yes…"

"Names… Harry Potter and Selena Potter. Crime…"

"It was only a bit of mud and Selena's done nothing wrong!" said Harry.

"Done nothing wrong, ehh… then explain why your sisters covered in mud as well, Potter. Thanks to you two I now have an extra hour of scrubbing!" shouted Filch, a drip shivering unpleasantly at the end of his bulbous nose. "Crime… befouling the castle… suggested sentence…"

Dabbing at his streaming nose, Filch squinted unpleasantly at Harry and Selena who were waiting with bated breath for their sentence to fall.

But as Filch lowered his quill, there was a great BANG! On the ceiling of the office, which made the oil lamp rattle.

"PEEVES!" Filch roared, flinging down his quill in a transport of rage. "I'll have you this time, I'll have you!"

And without a backwards glance at either of the twins, Filch ran flat footed from the office, Mrs. Norris streaking alongside him.

Peeves was the school poltergeist, a grinning, airborne menace who liked to cause havoc and distress. Harry and Selena didn't much like Peeves but couldn't help feeling grateful for his timing. Hopefully, whatever Peeves had done (and it sounded as though he'd wrecked something very bug this time) would distract Filch from Harry.

Thinking that they should probably wait for Filch to come back, Harry sank into a moth-eaten chair next to the desk, while Selena stood up, refusing to look at Harry. Harry knew that she had every right to be mad at him over his little game. With her robes being covered in mud Filch must have thought she too was responsible for the mess. What rotten timing he had to joke around. "I know Selena, it's my fault you've been dragged into this mess. But whatever our punishment may be, I won't let Filch do anything to do, mark my words."

Selena didn't answer, but appeared to be fixed on something lying on Filch's desk. That's when Harry noticed it, though he had no idea how he didn't see it earlier: a large, glossy, purple envelope with silver lettering on the front.

"What's that?" he asked as Selena picked it up.

"It says 'Kwikspell – A Correspondence Course in Beginners' Magic.'" she read aloud.

Intrigued, Harry got up from the chair and walked over to Selena. She flicked the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment inside. More curly silver writing on the front page said:

Feel out of step in the world of modern magic? Find yourself making excuses not to perform simple spells? Ever been taunted for your woeful wandwork? There is an answer!

Kwikspell is an all new, fail safe, quick result, easy learn course. Hundreds of witches and wizards have benefited from the Kwikspell method!

Madam Z. Nettles of Topsham writes: "I had no memory for incantations and my potions were a family joke! Now, after a Kwikspell course, I am the centre of attention at parties and friends beg for the recipe of my Scintillation Solution!"

Warlock D. J. Prod of Didsbury says: "My wife used to sneer at my feeble charms, but after one month into your fabulous Kwikspell course, I succeeded in turning her into a yak! Thank you, Kwikspell!"

Fascinated, the Potter twins thumbed through the rest of the envelope's contents. Why on earth did Filch want a Kwikspell course? Did this mean he wasn't a proper wizard? Harry and Selena were just reading "Lesson One: Holding Your Wand (Some Useful Tips)" when shuffling footsetps outside told them Filch was coming back. Stuffing the parchment back into the envelope, Selena threw it back onto the desk just as the door opened.

Filch was looking triumphant.

"That vanishing cabinet was extremely valuable!" he was saying gleefully to Mrs. Norris. "We'll have Peeves out this time, my sweet –"

His eyes fell on the twins and then darted to the Kwikspell envelope, which, they realized too late, was lying two feet from where it had started.

Filch's pasty face went brick red. Harry and Selena braced themselves for a tidal wave of fury. Filch hobbled across to his desk, snatched up the envelope, and threw it into the drawer.

"Did you – did you two read – ?" he sputtered.

"No," The twins lied quickly.

Filch's knobbly hands were twisting together.

"If I thought you'd read my private – not that it's mine – for a friend – be that as it may – however –"

Harry and Selena were staring at him, alarmed; Filch had never looked madder. His eyes were popping, a tic was going in one of his pouchy cheeks, and the tartan scarf didn't help.

"Very well – go – and don't breathe a word – not that – however, if you two didn't read – go now, I have to write up Peeves' report – go –"

Amazed at their luck, the twins sped out of the office, up the corridor, and back upstairs. To escape from Filch's office without punishment was probably some kind of school record.

"Harry! Selena! Did it work?"

Nearly Headless Nick came gliding out of a classroom. Behind him, Harry and Selena could see the wreckage of a large black and gold cabinet that appeared to have been dropped from a great height.

"I persuaded Peeves to crash it right over Filch's office," said Nick eagerly. "Thought I might distract him –"

"That was you?" said Harry gratefully.

"I would hug you, but I don't think it'll be possible. It worked a charm; Harry and I didn't even get detention. Thanks, Nick!" said Selena, grinning ear to ear.

They set off up the corridor together. Nearly Headless Nick, the twins noticed, was still holding Sir Patrick's rejection letter…

"I wish there was something we could do for you about the Headless Hunt," Harry said.

Nearly Headless Nick stopped in his tracks and the twins walked right through him. They wished they hadn't; it was like stepping through an icy shower.

"But there is something you could do for me," said Nick excitedly. "Potters – would I be asking too much – but no, you wouldn't want –"

"What is it?" said Selena.

"Well, this Halloween will be my five hundredth Deathday," said Nearly Headless Nick, drawing himself up and looking dignified.

"Deathday," said the twins, not sure whether they should look sorry or happy about this. "Okay then."

"I'm holding a party down in one of the roomier dungeons. Friends will be coming from all over the country. It would be such an honour of you two would attend. Mr. Weasley and Miss. Granger would be most welcome, too, of course – but I daresay you'd rather go to the school feast?" He watched Harry and Selena on tenterhooks.

"No," said Harry quickly, "I'll come –"

"We both will," said Selena.

"My dear children! Harry Potter and Selena Potter, at my deathday party! And" – he hesitated, looking excited – "do you think you possibly mention to Sir Patrick how very frightening and impressive you find me?"

"Of – of course," said the twins.

Nearly Headless Nick beamed at them.

"A deathday party?" said Hermione keenly when Harry and Selena had changed at last and joined her and Ron in the common room. "I bet there aren't many living people who can say they've been to one of those – it'll be fascinating!"

"Why would anyone want to celebrate the day they died?" said Ron, who was halfway through his Potions homework and grumpy. "Sounds dead depressing to me…"

Selena rolled her eyes for the unplanned pun. "Ha, ha,"

Rain was still lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework, or, in the case of Fred and George Weasley, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Fred and 'rescued' the brilliant orange, fire dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.

Harry and Selena were at the point of telling Ron and Hermione about Filch and the Kwikspell course when the salamander suddenly whizzed into the air, emitting loud sparks and bangs as it whirled wildly round the room. The sight of Percy bellowing himself hoarse at Fred and George, the spectacular display of tangerine stars showering from the salamander's mouth, and its escape into the fire, with accompanying explosions, drove both Filch and the Kwikspell envelope from the Potter Twins minds.

By the time Halloween arrived, Harry and Selena were regretting their rash decision to go to the deathday party. The rest of the school was happily anticipating their Halloween feast; the Great hall had been decorated with the usual live bats, Hagrid's vast Pumpkins had been carved into lanterns large enough for three men to sit in, and there were rumours that Dumbledore had booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment.

"A promise is a promise," Hermione reminded them bossily. "You two said you'd both go to the deathday party."

So, at seven o'clock, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena walked straight past the doorway to the packed Great Hall, which was glittering invitingly with gold plates and candles, and directed their steps instead toward the dungeons.

The passageway leading to Nearly Headless Nick's party had been lined with candles, too, through the effect was far from cheerful: These were long, thin, jet black taper, all burning bright blue, casting a dim, ghostly light even over their own living faces. The temperature dropped with every step they took. As Harry shivered and drew his robes tightly around him, they heard what sounded like a thousand fingernails scraping an enormous blackboard.

"Is that supposed to be music?" Ron whispered. Selena cringed her mouth and eyes as the sound grew louder with each step they took. They turned a corner and saw Nearly Headless Nick standing at a doorway hung with black velvet drapes.

"My dear friends," he said mournfully. "Welcome, welcome… so pleased you could come…" He swept off his plumed hat and bowed them inside.

It was an incredible sight. The dungeon was full of hundreds of pearly-white, translucent people, mostly drifting around a crowded dance floor, waltzing to the dreadful, quavering excuse of an orchestra, playing on a raised, black draped platform. A chandelier overhead blazed midnight blue with a thousand more black candles. Their breath rose in a mist before them; it was like stepping into a freezer.

"Shall we have a look around?" Harry suggested, wanting to warm up his feet.

"Careful not to walk through anyone," said Ron nervously, and they set off around the edge of the dance floor. They passed a group of gloomy nuns, a ragged man wearing chains, and the Fat Friar, a cheerful Hufflepuff ghost, who was talking to a knight with an arrow sticking out of his forehead. Neither of the twins were surprised to see that the Bloody baron, a gaunt, staring Slytherin ghost covered in silver bloodstains, was being given a wide berth by the other ghosts.

"Oh, no," said Hermione, stopping abruptly. "Turn back, turn back, I don't want to talk to Moaning Myrtle –"

Selena suddenly started looking around. "Myrtle's here?" She hadn't had the free time to visit Moaning Myrtle in her bathroom for the first few weeks of term. Hermione misread her emotion and grimly said:

"Yes, let's move quickly,"

"What are you talking about?" said Harry looking at the girls in confusion.

"She haunts one of the cubicles in the girls' bathroom on the first floor," said Hermione.

"She haunts a toilet?'

"Yes. It's been out of order for years because she keeps having tantrums and flooding the place," Hermione explained. Selena had a nasty feeling that Myrtle must've thought she had forgotten about her. "No one ever goes in there anyway. It's awful trying to go to the loo with her wailing all the time –"

Selena was about to say something when Ron shouted: "Look, food!"

On the other side of the dungeon was a long table, also covered in black velvet. They approached it eagerly but next moment they had stopped in their tracks, horrified. The smell was quite disgusting. Large, rotten fish were laid on handsome silver platters; cakes, burned charcoal black, were heaped in salvers; here was a great maggoty haggis, a slab of cheese covered in furry green mould and, in pride of place, an enormous grey cake in the shape of a tombstone, with tar like icing forming the words, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Portington, died 31stOctober, 1492.

Harry and Selena watched, amazed, as a portly ghost approached the table, crouched low, and walked through it, his mouth held wide so that it passed through one of the stinking salmon.

"Can you taste it if you walk through it?" Harry asked him.

"Almost," said the ghost sadly, and he drifted away.

"Perhaps they let it rot to give it a stronger flavour," said Selena, pinching her nose and backing away from the putrid haggis.

"Can we move? I feel sick," said Ron.

They had barely turned around, however, when a little man swooped suddenly from under the table and came to a halt in mid-air before them.

"Hello, Peeves," said Harry cautiously.

Unlike the ghosts around them, Peeves the Poltergeist was the very reverse of pale and transparent. He was wearing a bright orange party hat, a revolving bow tie, and a broad grin on his wide, wicked face.

"Nibbles?" he said sweetly, offering them a bowl of peanuts covered in fungus.

"No thank you," said Hermione and Selena.

"Heard you talking about poor Myrtle," said Peeves, his eyes dancing. "Rude you was about poor Myrtle." He took a deep breath and bellowed, "OI! MYRTLE!"

"Oh, no, Peeves, don't tell her what I said, she'll be really upset," Hermione whispered frantically. "I didn't mean it, I don't mind her – er, hello, Myrtle."

The squat ghost of a girl had gliding over. She had the glummest face Harry had ever seen, half hidden behind lank hair and thick, pearly spectacles.

"What?" she said sulkily.

"Good to see you Myrtle," said Selena, giving her a wave. "Nice to see you again,"

"Again?" Hermione whispered.

Myrtle looked up at Selena. Her small, see through eyes lit up like fairy lights. "Selena? I haven't seen you for weeks." She said in an unusually cheerful tone. Peeves looked shocked and nearly fell out of the air.

"Sorry I couldn't visit you sooner, school work, you know." said Selena giving Myrtle a warm smile.

"You two know each other?" Harry gasped.

Selena nodded. "Of course, I met Myrtle last year after I stumbled upon her bathroom. Been visiting whenever I can ever since."

"That's where you were always disappearing off to?" Ron stared.

"What were you talking about over here?" Myrtle asked in a curious tone.

The wicked grin began to return to Peeves' features. "Miss Granger was just talking about you –" he said slyly in Myrtle's ear.

"Peeves, sod off!" Selena hissed. Peeves stuck out his tongue at her, grinning wickedly.

Myrtle's expression changed instantly back to her normal, woeful emotion.

"I was just saying – how nice you look tonight," said Hermione, also glaring at Peeves.

Myrtle eyed Hermione suspiciously.

"You were making fun of me," she said, silver tears welling rapidly in her small eyes.

"No – honestly – didn't I just say how nice Myrtle's looking?" said Hermione, nudging Harry and Ron painfully in the ribs.

"Oh, yeah –"

"She did –"

"Don't lie to me," Myrtle gasped, tears now flooding down her face, while peeves chuckled happily over her shoulder. "Selena's the only one I trust. D'you think I don't know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Miserable, moaning, moping Myrtle!"

"You forgot spotty," Peeves hissed in her ear.

"Peeves!" Selena shouted.

Moaning Myrtle burst into anguishing sobs and fled from the dungeon. Peeves shot after her, pelting her with mouldy peanuts, yelling, "Spotty! Spotty!"

"Oh, dear," said Hermione sadly.

Selena's fists were clenched so tight they were turning white. "I'll _kill_ Peeves, has Myrtle not gone through enough already, both life and death?"

"You never mentioned you knew Moaning Myrtle, Selena." said Hermione.

"Well yeah, I already explained how I know her. She didn't believe me when I told her I would be her friend, but I managed to convince her. She only trusts me. I'm her only friend she's ever had, in both life and death."

"Oh," said Hermione sadly.

"You should be in Hufflepuff, Selena." said Ron.

"The Sorting Hat did want to put me in Hufflepuff."

Nearly Headless Nick now drifted toward them through the crowd.

"Enjoying yourselves?"

"Oh, yes," they lied.

"Not a bad turnout," said Nearly Headless Nick proudly. "The Wailing Widow came all the way up from Kent… It's nearly time for my speech, I'd better go and warn the orchestra…"

The orchestra, however, stopped playing at that very moment. They, and everyone else in the dungeon, fell silent, looking around in excitement, as a hunting horn sounded.

"Oh, here we go," said Nearly Headless Nick bitterly.

Through the dungeon wall burst a dozen ghost horses, each ridden by a headless horseman. The assembly clapped wildly; Harry started to clap, too, but stopped quickly at the sight of Nick's fate.

The horses galloped into the middle of the dance floor and halted, rearing and plunging. At the front of pack was a large ghost who held his bearded head under his arm, from which position he was blowing the horn. The ghost leapt down, lifted his head high in the air so he could see over the crowd (everyone laughed), and strode over to Nearly Headless Nick, squashing his head back onto his neck.

"Nick!" he roared. "How are you? Head stilling hanging in there?"

He gave a hearty guffaw and clapped Nearly Headless Nick on the shoulder.

"Hello, Patrick," said Nick stiffly.

"Live 'uns!" said Sir Patrick, spotting Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena and giving a huge, fake jump of astonishment, so that his head fell off again (the crowd howled with laughter).

"Yes, yes, very amusing," said Nearly Headless Nick darkly.

"Don't mind Nick!" shouted Sir Patrick's head from the floor. "Still upset we won't let him join the Hunt! But I mean to say – look at the fellow –"

"I think," said Harry hurriedly, at a meaningful look from Nick, "Nick's very – frightening and – er –"

"Ha!" yelled Sir Patrick's head. "Bet he asked you to say that!"

"If I could have everyone's attention, it's time for my speech!" said Nearly Headless Nick loudly, striding toward the podium and climbing into an icy blue spotlight.

"My late lamented lords, ladies, and gentlemen, it is my great sorrow…"

But nobody heard much more. Sir Patrick and the rest of the Headless hunt had just started a game of Head Hockey and the crowd were turning to watch. Nearly Headless Nick tried vainly to recapture his audience but gave up as Sir Patrick's head went sailing past him to loud cheers.

Harry and Selena were both very cold by now, not to mention hungry.

"I can't stand much more of this," Ron muttered, his teeth chattering, as the orchestra ground back into action and the ghosts swept back onto the dance floor.

"Let's go," Harry agreed.

They backed toward the door, nodding and beaming at anyone who looked at them, and a minute later were hurrying back up the passageway full of black candles.

"Pudding might not be finished yet," said Ron hopefully, leading the way toward the steps to the entrance hall.

And then the twins heard it.

 _"…rip… tear… kill…"_

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice they had heard in Lockhart's office.

They stumbled to a halt, clutching at the stone wall, listening with all their might, looking around, squinting up and down the dimly lit passageway.

"Harry, Selena, what're you –?"

"It's that voice again – shut up a minute –"

 _"…soo hungry… for so long…"_

"Listen!" said Selena urgently, and Ron and Hermione froze, watching them.

 _"…kill… time to kill…"_

The voice was growing fainter. Harry and Selena were both certain it was moving away – moving upward. A mixture of fear and excitement gripped them both as they stared at the dark ceiling; how could it be moving upward? Was it a phantom, to whom stone ceilings didn't matter?

"This way," Harry shouted, and they began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great hall. Harry and Selena sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind them.

"Harry, Selena, what're we –"

"SHH!"

Harry and Selena strained their ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter still, they heard the voice: _"…I smell blood… I SMELL BLOOD!"_

The twins' stomach's lurched. "It's going to kill someone!" Selena shouted, and ignoring Ron's and Hermione's bewildered faces, she and Harry ran up the next flight of steps three at a time, trying to listen over their own pounding footsteps – Harry and Selena hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind them, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Harry, Selena, what was that all about?" said Ron, wiping sweat off his face. "I couldn't hear anything…"

But Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor.

"Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot high notes had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering blood red in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. EMEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What's that thing – hanging underneath?" said Ron, a slight quiver in his voice.

As they edged nearer, Harry and Selena almost slipped – there was a large puddle of water on the floor; Ron and Hermione grabbed them, and they inched toward the message, eyes fixed on a dark shadow beneath it. All four of them realized what it was at once and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"I'm going to get Dumbledore –" Selena said as she began to awkwardly walk away.

"Don't. Trust me," said Ron, grabbing her wrist. "We don't want anyone to know we were here."

But it was too late. A rumble, as though of distant thunder, told them that the feast had just ended. From either end of the corridor where they stood came the sounds of hundreds of feet climbing the stairs, and the loud, happy talk of well-fed people; next moment, students were crashing into the passage from both ends.

The chatter, the bustle, the noise died suddenly as the people in front spotted the hanging cat. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena stood alone, in the middle of the corridor, as silence fell among the mass of students pressing forward to the grisly sight.

Then someone shouted through the quiet.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware! What does that mean?"

It was Veronica Blackwood. Her perfectly tanned face had changed to a shade of grey and her bottom lip quivered in cold fear.

"You'll be next, Mudblood." shouted someone else. Draco Malfoy had pushed his way to the front, sneering at the girl who made Selena's life a living hell. His eyes drifted to what Blackwood was looking at and his eyes widened with horror as he stared longingly at the hanging, immobile cat.


	9. The Writing on the Wall

"What's going on here? What's going on?"

Attracted no doubt by the shouts, Argus Filch came shouldering his way through the crowd. Then he saw Mrs. Norris and fell back, clutching his face in horror.

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" he shrieked.

And his popping eyes fell on Harry and Selena.

"Potters!" he screeched. "You! You've murdered my cat! You've killed her! I'll kill you! I'll –"

"Argus!"

Dumbledore had arrived on the scene, followed by a number of other teachers. In seconds, he had swept past Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch bracket.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You, too, Mr. Potter, Miss. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger."

Lockhart stepped forward eagerly.

"My office is nearest, Headmaster – just upstairs – please feel free –"

"Thank you, Gilderoy," said Dumbledore.

The silent crowd parted to let them pass. Lockhart, looking excited and important, hurried after Dumbledore; so did Professors McGonagall and Snape.

As they entered Lockhart's darkened office there was a flurry of movement across the walls; Harry and Selena saw several of the Lockhart's in the pictures dodging out of sight, their hair in rollers. The real Lockhart lit candles on his desk and stood back. Dumbledore lay Mrs. Norris on the polished surface and began to examine her. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena exchanged tense looks and sank into chairs outside the pool of candlelight, watching.

The tip of Dumbledore's long, crooked nose was barely an inch from Mrs. Norris's fur. He was looking at her closely through his half-moon spectacles, his long fingers gently prodding and poking. Professor McGonagall was bent almost as close, her eyes narrowed. Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar expression: It was as though he was trying hard not to smile. And Lockhart was hovering around all of them, making suggestions.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her – probably the Transmogrifian Torture – I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there, I know the very counter curse that would have saved her…"

Lockhart's comments were punctuated by Filch's dry, racking sobs. He was slumped in a chair by the desk, unable to look at Mrs. Norris, his face his hands. Much as they detested Filch, Harry and Selena couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for him, though not nearly as sorry as they felt for themselves: If Dumbledore believed Filch, they would be expelled for sure.

Dumbledore was now muttering strange words under his breath and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand but nothing happened: She continued to as though she had been recently stuffed.

"…I remember something very similar happening in Ouagadougou," said Lockhart, "a series of attacks, the full story's in my autobiography, I was able to provide the townsfolk with various amulets, which cleared the matter up at once…"

The photographs of Lockhart on the walls were all nodding in agreement as he talked. One of them had forgotten to remove his hair net.

At last Dumbledore straightened up.

"She's not dead, Argus," he said softly.

Lockhart stopped abruptly in the middle of counting the number of murders he had prevented.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers at Mrs. Norris. "But why's she all – all stiff and frozen?"

"She has been Petrified," said Dumbledore ("Ah! I thought so!" said Lockhart.) "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask them!" shrieked Filch, turning his blotched and tearstained face to Harry and Selena.

"No second year could have done this," said Dumbledore firmly. "it would take Dark Magic of the most advanced –"

"They did it, they did it!" Filch spat, his pouchy face purpling. "You saw what he wrote on the wall! They found – in my office – they know I'm a – I'm a –" Filch's face worked horribly. "They know I'm a Squib!" he finished.

"We never touched Mrs. Norris!" Harry said loudly, uncomfortably aware of everyone looking at him and Selena, including all the Lockhart's on the walls.

"And we don't even know what a Squib is." added Selena at the same volume.

"Lies!" snarled Filch. "You and your brother saw my Kwikspell letter!"

"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and the Harry's sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was going to do him any good. With Selena, it might be a different story, maybe with luck she could persuade Snape to let him off whatever he had planned for him.

"The twins and their friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted it. "But we do have a set of suspicious circumstances here. Why were they both in the upstairs corridor at all? Why weren't they at the Halloween feast?"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena all launched into an explanation about the deathday party. "…there were hundreds of ghosts, they'll tell you we were there –"

"But why not join the feast afterward?" said Snape, his black eyes glittering in the candlelight. "Why go up to that corridor?"

Ron and Hermione looked at the twins.

"Because – because –" Harry said, his heart thumping very fast; something told him it would sound very far-fetched if they told them he and Selena had been led there by a bodiless voice no one but them could hear, "because we were tired and wanted to go to bed," he said.

"Without any supper?" said Snape, a triumphant smile flickering across his gaunt face. "I didn't think ghosts provided food fit for living people at their parties."

"We weren't hungry," said Ron loudly as his stomach gave a huge rumble.

Snape's nasty smile widened.

"I suggest, Headmaster, that Mr. Potter is not being entirely truthful," he said. "It might be a good idea if he were deprived of certain privileges until he is ready to tell us the whole story. I personally feel he should be taken off the Gryffindor Quidditch team until he is ready to be honest."

Selena cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her. "Excuse me Professor, but if you're going to punish Harry, you might as well punish me too."

"Really, Severus," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "Miss. Potter has a point. But I see no reason to stop the boy playing Quidditch. This cat wasn't hit over the head with a broomstick. There is no evidence at all that Potter and his sister have done anything wrong."

Dumbledore was giving Harry and Selena a searching look. His twinkling light-blue gaze made the twins eel as though they were being X rayed.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said firmly.

Snape looked furious.

So did Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" he shrieked, his eyes popping. "I want to see some punishment!"

"We will be able to cure her, Argus," said Dumbledore patiently. "Professor Sprout recently managed to procure some Mandrakes. As soon as they have reached their full size, I will have a potion made that will revive Mrs. Norris."

"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep –"

"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master at this school."

There was a very awkward pause.

"You may go," Dumbledore said to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena.

They went, as quickly as they could without actually running. When they were a floor up from Lockhart's office, they turned into an empty classroom and closed the door quietly behind them. Harry and Selena squinted at his friends' darkened faces.

"D'you think I should have told them about the voice we heard?" Harry asked.

"No," said Ron, without hesitation. "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world."

Something in Ron's voice made Selena ask, "You do believe us, don't you?"

"'Course we do," said Ron quickly. "But – you admit it's weird…"

"We know it's weird," said Harry. "The whole thing's weird. What was that writing on the wall about? The Chamber has been opened… What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, it rings a sort of bell," said Ron slowly.

Selena's eyes widened. "Oh? You think you know what this Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I don't know exactly. I only remember someone telling me a story about a secret chamber at Hogwarts once… might've been Bill…"

"And what on earth's a Squib?" said Harry.

To their surprise, Ron stifled a snigger.

"Well – it's not funny really – but as it's Filch," he said. "A Squib is someone who was born into a wizarding family but hasn't got any magic powers. Kind of the opposite of Muggle-born wizards, but Squibs are quite unusual. If Filch's trying to learn magic from a Kwikspell course, I reckon he must be a Squib. It would explain a lot. Like why he hates students so much." Ron gave a satisfied smile. "He's bitter."

A clock chimed somewhere.

"Midnight," said Harry. "We'd better get to bed before Snape comes along and tries to frame us for something else."

Selena would've gone deaf from the noise her roommates made when she walked into the dormitory. Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa had been waiting patiently for her to arrive, just so they could ask her questions. Questions Selena knew she didn't have answers to.

"What the hell happened?"

"Why weren't you at the Halloween Feast?"

"Did you get a detention?"

"What happened to Mrs. Norris?"

"Girls!" Selena barked, shutting them up. "If I may speak,"

Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa all crowded onto Selena's bed, eager to get some answers from her.

"Sorry Selena, we were just worried about you. You didn't show up at the Halloween Feast, then there was that writing on the wall." said Adeline.

"Where were you anyway?" asked Vanessa.

"I was at Sir Nicholas' deathday party with Harry, Hermione and Ron. Then on the way back Harry and I –" she paused and stared longingly at the wall beside her bed. Immediately her friends caught on that something was wrong.

"Selena, are you okay?"

"What happened?"

Selena sighed deeply. If Ron and Hermione knew about what she and Harry had been hearing, then the girls had a right to know. So did Evan and Asha.

"I've got to tell you girls something, but we have to be quiet." said Selena beckoning them closer. The girls did so and Selena began to whisper what had happened on their way back from the deathday party. "Harry and I heard this voice, but neither Ron or Hermione could hear it. It kept saying things like; rip, tear and kill…"

The girls gasped in horror.

"You're kidding?"

Selena shook her head. "I don't make this stuff up, we followed the voice up the corridor and that's where we found the writing and Mrs. Norris, who Dumbledore said has been Petrified."

"Petrified!"

"Yep, do any of you know what that means?"

Vanessa and Adeline shook their heads, but Odessa nodded. "I've only heard about it from my mother, it takes something very powerful and very frightening to Petrify someone, that's where they become so frightened, they freeze on the spot, almost in like a coma. They can't hear, see or speak. It's as if they're nothing more than a soulless statue."

"That explains why Mrs. Norris was so stiff," Selena muttered. "But what could do that?"

Odessa shrugged. "I wish I knew, girl, if I did I'd be outta here faster than a cheetah on steroids."

A grey owl swooped into the room through the window and dropped a letter onto Vanessa's lap before flying out again. Vanessa hastily opened it to read the message. She did so for a few seconds until she let out a snort of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Odessa asked.

"It's from Evan, she says that Veronica's freaking out about the writing on the wall."

"Who wouldn't, 'Enemies of the Heir, beware,' it's morbid, anyone would be frightened." said Adeline with a quiver in her voice.

"Hand me that piece of parchment – I need to let her and Asha know about this too." said Selena as Vanessa handed her two sheets of parchment and a quill. She scribbled down a brief letter to Evan and the Asha, asking them to reply back as soon as possible, before sending Odessa's owl Beatrice off with the two letters.

While they waited, the girls had a discussion about what the writing on the wall meant. Vanessa had an idea, but it wasn't one that Selena liked. "Remember what Draco said to Veronica, 'You'll be next, Mudblood.'"

At that, Adeline and Odessa gasped.

Adeline was enraged. "He did not say that!"

"He did, I think he might know what the message means by 'Enemies of the Heir, beware.' It must be talking about Muggle-borns!"

"Gee, thanks Vanessa." Adeline muttered, her face now a pale brown. "I'm a Muggle-born,"

"I think Veronica caught onto the meaning instantly, that must be why she's so panicked." said Odessa.

The girls erupted into giggles. "I wish I was in Ravenclaw tower right now." said Adeline.

"You think Evan got the message?"

"She should've – ahh, there we go, speak of the devil." Selena said, pointing that the window.

There was a flap of wings from two owls and the responses from Evan and Asha arrived, landing in the middle of the group.

Selena read aloud Evan's response first.

"Dear Selena,

The whole of Ravenclaw's talking about the message on the wall, but none of us have any idea what caused Mrs. Norris to become petrified, and that's coming from the wisest house at Hogwarts. The only thing we can expect is that Filch is going to be a right pain in the arse until Mrs. Norris gets better.

We do have theories though. Luna suggested it might be Snargles, but no one believes her. Cho thinks it might be a phantom that Petrified Mrs. Norris. Veronica is of course being a drama queen, she was panicking over what the message meant, then Terry made it worse when he said that whomever wrote that message was going after all Muggle-borns.

Veronica and a couple Muggle-born first years have barricaded themselves inside the dormitory bathroom. Penelope, our Prefect is trying to coax them out, but I think she's going to be there all night."

"Typical Veronica," said Odessa.

"As for the voice you and Harry keep hearing, I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with the message and the attack on Mrs. Norris. I haven't got a clue what it could be, all of us are stumped. I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

Sincerely,

Evan Barkridge-Shadowmend."

Selena ripped open Asha's letter and read aloud.

"Dear Selena,

This is absolutely insane; first years are asking questions but none of the Prefects can give them any answers. I don't know what the voice you and Harry keep hearing – now, I don't wanna frighten you, but it can't be anything friendly. Perhaps it's a twin thing that only you two can hear it, can't think of how that could be plausible – yeah, scratch that.

Just be careful

P.S Draco needs to watch what comes out of his mouth, but at least it scared Veronica.

Sincerely,

Asha Grail."

* * *

For a few days, the school could talk of little else but the attack on Mrs. Norris. Filch kept it fresh in everyone's minds by pacing the spot where she had been attacked, as though he though the attacker might come back. Harry and Selena had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with Mrs. Skower's All Purpose Magical Mess Remover, but to no effect; the words still gleamed as brightly as ever on the stone. When Filch wasn't guarding the scene of the crime, he was stalking redayed through the corridors, lunging out at unsuspecting students and trying to put them in detention for things like "breathing loudly" and "looking happy."

Ginny Weasley seemed very disturbed by Mrs. Norris's fate. According to Ron, she was a great cat lover.

"But you haven't really got to know Mrs. Norris," Ron told her bracingly. "Honestly, we're much better off without her." Ginny's lip trembled. "Stuff like this doesn't often happen at Hogwarts," Ron assured her. "They'll catch the maniac who did it and have him out of here in no time. I just hope he's got time to Petrify Filch before he's expelled. I'm only joking –" Ron added hastily as Ginny blanched.

The attack had also had an effect on Hermione. It was quite usual for Hermione to spend a lot of time reading, but she was now doing almost nothing else. Nor could Harry, Ron or Selena get much response from her when they asked what she was up to, and not until the following Wednesday did they find out.

Harry had been held back in Potions, where Snape had made him stay behind to scrape tubeworms off the desks. After a hurried lunch, he went upstairs to meet Ron and Selena in the library, Ron was measuring his History of Magic homework. Professor Binns had asked for a three-foot-long composition on "The Medieval Assembly of European Wizards."

"I don't believe this, I'm still eight inches short…" said Ron furiously, letting go of his parchment, which sprang back into a roll. "And Hermione's done four feet seven inches and her writing's tiny."

"Where is she?" asked Harry, grabbing the tape measure and unrolling his own homework.

"Somewhere over there," said Selena, pointing along the shelves. "Looking for another book. I think she's trying to read the whole library before Christmas." Harry told Ron and Selena about Justin Finch-Fletchey running away from him.

"Dunno why you care. I thought he was a bit of an idiot," said Ron, scribbling away, making his writing as large as possible. "All that junk about Lockhart being so great –"

"All the copies of Hogwarts, A History have been taken out," she said, sitting down next to Harry, Ron and Selena. "And there's a two-week waiting list. I wish I hadn't left my copy at home, but I couldn't fit it in my trunk with all the Lockhart books."

"Why do you want it?" said Harry.

"The same reason everyone else wants it," said Hermione, "to read up on the legend of the Chamber of Secrets."

"What's that?" said Selena quickly.

"That's just it. I can't remember," said Hermione, biting her lip. "And I can't the story anywhere else –"

"Hermione, let me read your composition," said Ron desperately, checking his watch.

"No, I won't," said Hermione, suddenly severe. "You've had ten days to finished it –"

"I only need another two inches, come on –"

The bell rang. Ron and Hermione led the way to History of Magic, bickering.

Selena leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear. "Bet you ten Galleons they'll get together in the future,"

Harry snickered and winked at her. "You're on."

* * *

History of Magic was the dullest subject on their schedule. Professor Binns, who taught it, was their only ghost teacher, and the most exciting thing that ever happened in his classes was his entering the room through the blackboard. Ancient and shrivelled, many people said he hadn't noticed he was dead. He had simply got up to teach one day and left his body behind him in an armchair in front of the staff room fire; his routine had not varied in the slightest since.

Today was boring as ever. Professor Binns opened his notes and began to read in a flat drone like an old vacuum cleaner until nearly everyone in the class was in a deep stupor, occasionally coming to enough to copy down a name or date, then falling asleep again. He had been speaking for half an hour when something happened that never happened before. Hermione put her hand up.

Professor Binns, glancing up in the middle of a deadly dull lecture on the International Warlock Convention of 1289, looked amazed.

"Miss – er –?"

"Granger, Professor. I was wondering if you could tell us anything about the Chamber of Secrets," said Hermione in a clear voice.

Dean Thomas, who had been sitting with his mouth hanging open, gazing out of the window, jerked out of his trance; Lavender Brown's head came up off her arms and Neville Longbottom's elbow slipped off his desk.

Professor Binns blinked.

"My subject is History of Magic," he said in his dry, wheezy voice. "I deal with facts, Miss Granger, not myths and legends." He cleared his throat with a small noise like chalk sipping and continued, "In September of that year, a subcommittee of Sardinian sorcerers –" He stuttered to a halt. Hermione's hand was waving in the air again.

"Miss Grant?"

"Please, sir, don't legends always have a basis in fact?"

Professor Binns was looking at her in such amazement, Harry and Selena were sure no student had ever interrupted him before, alive or dead.

"Well," said Professor Binns slowly, "yes, one could argue that, I suppose." He peered at Hermione as though he had never seen a student properly before. "However, the legend of which you speak is such a very sensational, even ludicrous tale –"

But the whole class was now hanging on Professor Binns's every word. He looked dimly at them all, every face turned to his. Harry could tell he was completely thrown by such an unusual show of interest.

"Oh, very well,' he said slowly. "Let me see… the Chamber of Secrets…

"You all know, of course, that Hogwarts was founded over a thousand years ago – the precise date is uncertain – by the four greatest witches and wizards of the age. The four school Houses are named after them: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They built this castle together, far from prying Muggle eyes, for it was an age when magic was feared by common people, and witches and wizards suffered much persecution."

He paused, gazed blearily around the room, and continued.

"For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin believed that magical learning should be kept within all magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy. After a while, there was a serious argument on the subject between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and Slytherin left the school."

Professor Binns paused again, pursing his lips, looking like a wrinkled old tortoise.

"Reliable historical sources tell us this much," he said. "But these honest facts have been obscured by the fanciful legend of the Chamber of Secrets. The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other foundries knew nothing.

"Slytherin, according to the legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to open the Chamber and unleash the horror within and use it to purge the school of all – in Slytherins view – who were unworthy to study magic."

There was silence as he finished telling the story, but it wasn't the usual, sleepy silence that filled Professor Binns's classes. There was unease in the air as everyone continued to watch him, hoping for more. Professor Binns looked faintly annoyed.

"The whole thing is arrant nonsense, of course," he said. "Naturally, the school has been searched for evidence of such a chamber, many times, by the most learned witches and wizards. It does not exist. A tale told to frighten the gullible."

Hermione's hand was back in the air.

"Sir – what exactly do you mean by the 'horror within' the Chamber?"

"It is believed to be some sort of monster, one which only the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," said Professor Binns in his dry, reedy voice.

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"I tell you, the thing does not exist," said Professor Binns, shuffling his notes. "There is no Chamber and no monster."

"But, sir," said Seamus Finnigan, "if the Chmaber can only be opened by Slytherin's true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?"

"Nonsense, O'Flaherty," said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. "If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven't found a thing –"

"But, Professor," piped up Parvati Patil, "you'd probably have to use Dark Magic to open it –"

"Just because a wizard doesn't use Dark Magic doesn't mean he can't, Miss Pennyfeather," snapped Professor Binns. "I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore –"

"But maybe you've got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn't –" began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough.

"That will do," he said sharply. "It is a myth! It does not exist! There is not a shred of evidence that Slytherin ever built so much as a secret broom cupboard! I regret telling you such a foolish story! We will return, if you please, to history, to solid, believable, verifiable fact!"

And within five minutes, the class had sunk back into its usual torpor.

"I always knew Salazar Slytherin was a twisted old loony," Ron told Harry, Hermione and Selena as they fought their way through the teeming corridors at the end of the lesson to drop off their bags before dinner. "But I never knew he started all this pure blood stuff. I wouldn't be in his house if you paid me. Honestly, if the Sorting hat had tried to put me in Slytherin, I'd've got the train straight back home…"

Hermione nodded fervently, but the twins didn't say anything. They were both reflecting on the same thing that was making their stomachs dropped.

Neither of them had told Ron or Hermione that the Sorting Hat had seriously considered putting them in Slytherin. Harry could remember as if it was yesterday, the small voice that spoke in his ear when the hat had been placed on his head a year before: You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that…

But Harry, who had already heard of Slytherin House's reputation for turning out Dark wizards, had thought desperately, Not Slytherin! And the hat had said, Oh, well, if you're sure… better be Gryffindor…

Selena felt a little more at ease, because the Sorting Hat had also been serious about putting her in Hufflepuff. You are a witch of the kindest heart, Hufflepuff would be very proud of you. You would do well in that House, but I see you are also brave at heart, your wish is to stand by your brother just as you always have…

Selena had not said anything against being in Slytherin, but she remembered what the hat had said to her: You could break the stereotype with that heart of gold.

As they were shunted along in the throng, Colin Creevey went past.

"Hiya, Harry! Hiya, Selena!"

"Hullo, Colin," said the twins automatically.

"Harry – Selena – a boy in my class has been saying you're –"

But Colin was so small he could fight against the tide of people bearing him toward the Great Hall; they heard him squeak, "See you, Harry and Selena!" and he was gone.

"What's a boy in his class saying about you?" Hermione wondered.

"That either I or Selena is Slytherin's heir, I expect," said Harry, his stomach dropping another inch or so as he suddenly remembered the way Justin Finch-Fletchley had run away from him at lunchtime.

"People here'll believe anything," said Ron in disgust.

"Tell me about it," said Selena, "Rumours spread, gossip starts and before you know it there's a false fact spreading around like the plague."

The crowd thinned and they were able to climb the next staircase without difficulty.

"D'you think there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I don't know," she said, frowning. "Dumbledore couldn't cure Mrs. Norris, and that makes me think that whatever attacked her might not be – well – human."

"That's what Evan said in her letter, but she's as stumped as everyone and that's coming from her, a Ravenclaw!" said Selena.

"What letter?" Ron asked.

"I just owled my friends about what's going on and the voice Harry and I have been hearing." She shrugged it off.

Ron gapped at her. "Are you mad? What if one of your friends is the culprit!"

"Ronald Weasley, what a thing to say. In case you've gone thick, none of the girls are in Slytherin."

"But you do have one friend who's a Slytherin," Ron sneered.

Selena groaned, turning away from him in disgust. She didn't need a name to know he was talking about Draco. It was the way he said it.

"What if –"

"Enough with the 'what ifs'," Selena snapped as they turned a corner and found themselves at the end of the very corridor where the attack had happened. They stopped and looked. The scene was just as it had been that night, except that there was no stiff cat hanging from the torch bracket, and an empty chair stood against the wall bearing the message "The Chamber of Secrets has been Opened."

"That's where Filch has been keeping guard," Ron muttered.

They looked at each other. The corridor was deserted.

"Can't hurt to have a poke around," said Harry, dropping his bag and getting to his hands and knees so that he crawl along, searching for clues.

"Scorch marks!" he said. "Here – and here –"

"Come and look at this!" said Hermione. "This is funny…"

Harry got up and crossed to the window next to the message on the wall. Hermione was pointing at the topmost pane, where around twenty spiders were scuttling, apparently fighting to get through a small crack. A long, silvery thread was dangling like a rope, as though they had all climbed it in their hurry to get outside.

"Have anyone of you seen spiders act like that?" said Hermione wonderingly.

"No," said Harry, "have you, Ron? Ron?"

He looked over his shoulder. Ron was standing well back and seemed to be fighting the impulse to run.

"What's up?" said Selena, who had turned her head when Ron didn't answer Harry.

"I – don't – like – spiders," said Ron tensely.

"I never knew that," said Hermione, looking at Ron in surprise. "You've used spiders in Potions loads of times…"

"I don't mind them dead," said Ron, who was carefully looking anywhere but at the window. "I just don't like the way they move…"

Hermione giggled.

"It's not funny," said Ron, fiercely. "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my – my teddy bear into a dirty great spider because I broke his toy broomstick… You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and…"

He broke off, shuddering. Hermione was obviously still trying not to laugh but stopped when Selena shot her an angry glare. Feeling they had better get off the subject, Selena said, "Remember all that water on the floor? Where did that come from? Someone's mopped it up."

"It was about here," said Ron, recovering himself to walk a few paces past Filch's desk and pointing. "Level with this door."

He reached for the brass doorknob but suddenly withdrew his hand as though he'd burned it.

"What's the matter?" said Harry.

"Can't go in there," said Ron gruffly. "That's a girls' toilet."

"Oh, Ron, there won't be anyone in there," said Selena, standing up and walking over. "That's Moaning Myrtle's place. Come on, let's ask if she's seen anything."

And ignoring the OUT OF ORDER sign, she opened the door.

It was the gloomiest, most depressing bathroom Harry had ever set foot in. Under a large, cracked, and spotted mirror were a row of chipped sinks. The floor was damp and reflected the dull light off by the stubs of a few candles, burning low in their holders; the wooden doors to the stalls were flaking and scratched and one of them was dangling off its hinges.

Selena put her fingers to her lips and set off toward the end stall. When she reached it she said, "Hello, Myrtle, how are you?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione went to look. Moaning Myrtle was floating above the tank of the toilet, picking a spot on her chin.

"This is a girls' bathroom," she said, eyeing Ron and Harry suspiciously. "They're not girls."

"You're quite right there, Myrtle. Are you okay? What Peeves did at the deathday party, I hope you're okay."

Myrtle gave a little sniff. "I'll be fine, Selena. Why did you bring them," she nodded at Harry, Ron and Hermione standing behind Selena, "in here with you? Especially the boys."

"Ask her if she saw anything," Harry mouthed at Selena.

"What are you whispering?" said Myrtle, staring at him.

"Nothing," said Harry quickly. "We wanted to ask –"

"I wish people would stop talking behind my back!" said Myrtle, in a voice choked with tears. "I do have feelings, even if I am dead –"

"Myrtle, no one wants to upset you," said Hermione. "Harry only –"

"No one wants to upset me! That's a good one!" howled Myrtle. "Selena's the only one I trust. Before her my life was nothing but a misery at this place and now people come along ruining my death!"

"Myrtle, we only want to know if you've seen anything funny lately," said Selena quickly. "Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween. Did you see anyone near here that night?"

"I wasn't paying attention," said Myrtle dramatically. "Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to kill myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm – that I'm "

"Already dead," said Ron helpfully, yelping as Selena stomped on his foot.

Myrtle gave a tragic sob, rose up in the air, turned over, and dived headfirst into the toilet, splashing water all over them and vanishing from sight, although from the direction of her muffled sobs, she had come to rest somewhere in the U bend.

Harry and Ron stood with their mouths open, but Hermione shrugged wearily and said, "Honestly, that was almost cheerful for Myrtle…"

Selena instead, glared angrily at all three of them. "You can't blame her. Myrtle was bullied her entire life without a friend to care for her, so excuse her for being so sensitive."

"It's not our fault she's always wailing in here!" Ron argued.

Selena smacked him over the head to which Ron's shout echoed through the bathroom. "You'd be wailing too if you were stuck in this damp, dingy place for all eternity. Have any of you thought about that?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged awkward looks. "Not really…" said Ron.

"Well it's time you start thinking before opening your mouth, Ronald. Come on, let's go."

Harry had barely closed the door on Myrtle's gurgling sobs when a loud voice made all four of them jump.

"RON!"

Percy Weasley had stopped dead at the head of the stairs, prefect badge agleam, an expression of complete shock on his face.

"That's a girls' bathroom!" he gasped. "What were you –?"

"Just having a look around," Ron shrugged. "Clues, you know –" Percy swelled in a manner that reminded the twins forcefully of Mrs. Weasley.

"Get – away – from – there –" Percy said, striding toward them and starting to bustle them along, flapping his arms. "Don't you care what this looks like? Coming back here while everyone's at dinner –"

"Why shouldn't we be here?" said Ron hotly, stopping short and glaring at Percy. "Listen, we never laid a finger on that cat!"

"That's what I told Ginny," said Percy fiercely, "but she still seems to think you're going to be expelled, I've never seen her so upset, crying her eyes out, you might think of her, all the first years are thoroughly overexcited by this business –"

"You don't care about Ginny," said Ron, whose ears were now reddening. "You're just worried I'm going to mess up your chances of being Head Boy –"

"Five points from Gryffindor!" Percy said tersely, fingering his prefect badge. "And I hope it teaches you a lesson! No more detective work, or I'll write to Mum!"

And he strode off, the back of his neck as red as Ron's ears.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena chose seats as far as possible from Percy in the common room that night. Ron was still in a very bad temper and kept blotting his Charms homework. When he reached absently for his wand to remove the smudges, it ignited the parchment. Fuming almost as much as his homework, Ron slammed The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 shut. To the twins' surprise, Hermione followed suit.

"Who can it be, though?" she said in a quiet voice, as though continuing a conversation they had just been having. "Who'd want to frighten all the Squibs and Muggle-borns out of Hogwarts?"

"Let's think," said Ron in mock puzzlement. "Who do we know who thinks Muggle-borns are scum?"

He looked at Selena. Selena looked back, frowning. "If you're talking about Draco –"

"Of course I am!" said Ron. "You heard what he said to Blackwood – 'You'll be next, Mudblood!' – come on, you've only got to look at his foul rat face to know it's him –"

"I heard him, but Blackwood makes my life a living hell, Ronald! Draco knows that."

To Selena's amazement, Hermione agreed with her. "Malfoy, the Heir of Slytherin?" she said skeptically.

"Maybe Ron's on to something, girls," said Harry, closing his book, too. "Look at his family. The whole lot of them have been in Slytherin; he's always boasting about it. They could easily be Slytherin's descendants. His father's definitely evil enough."

"Oh sure, blame Draco! Label all Slytherin's as soul sucking demons, why don't you," Selena hissed aggressively. "If Draco is the Heir of Slytherin, why wasn't the Chamber opened last year? Didn't Professor Binns say that the Chamber could only be open when the Heir arrived at the school. Draco's a second year, not a first year."

But Ron was not convinced. "Maybe there's a certain age you have to be to open the Chamber. They could've had the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries! Handing it down, father to son…"

"Well," said Hermione cautiously, "I suppose there's that…"

"But how do we prove it?" said Harry darkly.

"There might be a way," said Hermione slowly, dropping her voice still further with a quick glance across the room at Percy. "Of course, it would be difficult. And dangerous, very dangerous. We'd be breaking about fifty school rules, I expect –"

"If, in a month or so, you feel like explaining, let us know, won't you?" said Ron irritably.

"All right," said Hermione coldly. "What we'd need to do is get inside the Slytherin common room and ask Malfoy a few questions without him realizing it's us."

Selena's mouth fell open, appalled that Hermione would even suggest such a thing. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me,"

"But that's impossible," Harry said as Ron laughed.

"No, it's not," said Hermione. "All we'd need would be some Polyjuice Potion."

"What's that?" said Ron and Harry together.

Selena frowned. "Snape mentioned it in class a few weeks ago –"

"D'you think we've got nothing better to do in Potions than listen to Snape?" muttered Ron.

"For your information, it transforms you into somebody else. Think about it! We could change into three of the Slytherins. No one would ever know it was us. Malfoy would probably tell us anything. He's probably boasting about it right now, if only we could hear him." said Hermione.

Selena bit her lip. Were they really agreeing to this. She didn't like the idea of spying on Draco, it seemed to be a sort of betrayal. Spying on him undercover of another Slytherin. But she had no way of convincing them otherwise. Perhaps with effort she could propose a compromise for her to remain undisguised.

"This Polyjuice stuff sounds a bit dodgy to me," said Ron, frowning. "What if we were struck looking like three of the Slytherins forever?"

"It wears off after a while," said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently. "But getting hold of the recipe will be very difficult. Snape said it was in a book called Moste Potente Potions and it's bound to be in the Restricted Section of the library."

There was only one way to get out a book from the Restricted Section: You needed a signed note of permission from a teacher.

"Hard to see why we'd want the book, really," said Ron, "if we weren't going to try and make one of the potions."

"I think," said Hermione, "that if we made it sound as though we were just interested in the theory, we might stand a chance…"

"Oh, come on, no teacher's going to fall for that," said Ron. "They'd have to be really thick…"


	10. The Rogue Bludger

Since the disastrous episode of the pixies, Professor Lockhart had not brought any live creatures to class. Instead, he read passages from his books to them, and sometimes re-enacted some of the more dramatic bits. He usually picked Harry, Selena or both of them to help him with these reconstructions; so far, Harry had been forced to play a simple Transylvanian villager who Lockhart had cured of a Babbling Curse, Selena had been cast as a yeti with a head cold, and a vampire who had been unable to eat anything except lettuce since Lockhart had dealt with her.

Harry was hauled to the front of the class during their very next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson, this time acting a werewolf. If he hadn't had a very good reason for keeping Lockhart in a good mood, he would have refused to do it.

"Nice loud howl, Harry – exactly – and then, if you'll believe it, I pounced – like this – slammed him to the floor – thus with one hand, I managed to hold him down – with my other, I put my wand to his throat – I then screwed up my remaining strength and performed the immensely complex Homorphus Charm – he let out a piteous moan – go on, Harry – higher than that – good – the fur vanished – the fangs shrank – and he turned back into a man. Simple, yet effective – and another village will remember me forever as the hero who delivered them from the monthly terror of werewolf attacks."

The bell rang and Lockhart got his feet.

"Homework – compose a poem about my defeat of the Wagga Wagga Werewolf! Signed copies of Magical Me to the author of the best one!"

The class began to leave. Harry returned to the back of the room, where Ron, Hermione and Selena were waiting.

"Ready?" Harry muttered.

"Wait till everyone's gone," said Hermione nervously. "All right…"

She approached Lockhart's desk, a piece of paper clutched tightly in her hand, Harry, Ron and Selena right behind her.

"Er – Professor Lockhart? Hermione stammered. "I wanted to – to get this book out of the library. Just for the background reading." She held out the piece of paper, her hand shaking slightly. "But the thing is, it's in the Restricted Section of the library, so I need a teacher to sign for it – I'm sure it would help me understand what you say in Gadding with Ghouls about slow acting venoms…"

"Ah, Gadding with Ghouls!" said Lockhart, taking the note from Hermione and smiling widely at her. "Possibly my very favourite book. You enjoyed it?"

"Oh, yes," said Hermione eagerly. "So clever, the way you trapped that last one with the tea strainer –"

"Well, I'm sure no one will mind me giving the best student of the year a little extra help," said Lockhart warmly, and he pulled out an enormous peacock quill. "Yes, nice, isn't it?" he said, misreading the revolted looks on Ron and Selena's faces. "I usually save it for book signings."

He scrawled an enormous loopy signature on the note and handed it back to Hermione.

"So, Harry," said Lockhart, while Hermione folded the note with fumbling fingers and slipped it into her bag. "Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're a useful player. I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to delicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little private training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my expertise to less able players…"

Selena might have done something stupid, but Lockhart was starting to get under her muscles. She had had enough. "Excuse me Professor, my brother just happens to be the Youngest Quidditch player of the century. He doesn't need any advice on how to play Quidditch, now if you don't mind – we best be off, wouldn't want to interrupt your great and magical genius."

Lockhart made a strange indistinct noise in his throat as they hurried off before he could call them back.

Ron was staring at Selena in amazement. "That was bloody brilliant Selena,"

She was holding a hand to her forehead like she had a headache, which wasn't that far from the truth. "Lockhart's getting on my nerves, I had to put him in his place."

"Let's just hope you didn't do anything stupid," said Harry as the four of them examined the signature on the note. "I can't believe it, he didn't even look at the book we wanted."

"That's because it's all hot air in that head of his," said Selena.

"Who cares, we've got what we needed –"

"He is not all hot air up there," said Hermione shrilly as they half ran toward the library.

"Just because he said you were the best student of the year –" said Ron.

They dropped their voices as they entered the muffled stillness of the library. Madam Pince, the librarian, was a thin, irritable woman who looked like an underfed vulture.

"Moste Potente Potions?" she repeated suspiciously, trying to take the note from Hermione; but Hermione wouldn't let go.

"I was wondering if I could keep it," she said breathlessly.

"Oh, come on," said Ron, wrenching it from her grasp and thrusting it at Madame Pince. "We'll get you another autograph."

"Ron's right Hermione, Lockhart'll sign anything that stands still long enough." said Selena.

Madam Pince held the note up to the light, as though determined to detect a forgery, but it passed the test. She stalked away between the lofty shelves and returned several minutes later carrying a large and mouldy looking book. Hermione put it carefully into her bag and they left, trying not to walk too quickly or look too guilty.

Five minutes later, they were barricaded in Moaning Myrtle's out of order bathroom once again. Hermione had overridden Ron's objections by pointing out that it was the last place anyone in their right minds would go, so they were guaranteed some privacy Moaning Myrtle was crying noisily in her stall, but they were ignoring her, and she them. Only Selena was on edge, having difficulties in deciding whether she should go over there and comfort Myrtle or stay put on the tile floor.

Hermione opened Moste Potente Potions carefully, and the four of them bent over the damp spotted pages. It was clear from a glance why it belonged in the Restricted Section. Some of the potions had effects almost too gruesome to think about, and there were some very unpleasant illustrations, which included a man who seemed to have been turned inside out and a witch sprouting several extra pairs of arms out of her head.

"Here it is," said Hermione excitedly as she found the page headed The Polyjuice Potion. It was decorated with drawings of people halfway through transforming into other people. Harry sincerely hoped the artists had imagined the looks of intense pain on their faces.

"This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen," said Hermione as they scanned the recipe. "Lacewing flies, leeches, fluxweed, and knotgrass," she murmured, running her finger down the list of ingredients. "Well, they're easy enough, they're in the student store cupboard, we can help ourselves… Oooh, look, powdered horn of a Bicorn – don't know where we're going to get that – shredded skin of a Boomslang – that'll be tricky, too and of course a bit of whoever we want to change into."

"Excuse me?" said Ron sharply. "What d'you mean, a bit of whoever we're going to change into? I'm drinking nothing with Crabbe's toenails in it –"

Hermione continued as though she hadn't heard him.

"We don't have to worry about that yet, though, because we add those bits last…"

Ron turned, speechless, to Harry and Selena, who had another worry.

"D'you realize how much we're going to have to steal, Hermione? Shredded skin of a boomslang, that's definitely not in the students' cupboard."

"That'll be in Snape's private stores, meaning we'll have to somehow break in. I don't know if this is a good idea…" said Selena, biting her lip.

Hermione shut the book with a snap.

"Well, if you three are going to chicken out, fine," she said. There were bright pink patches on her cheeks and her eyes were brighter than usual. "I don't want to break rules, you know. I think threatening Muggle-borns is far worse than brewing up a difficult potion. But if you don't want to find out if it's Malfoy, I'll go straight to Madam Pince now and hand the book back in –"

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be persuading us to break rules," said Ron. "All right, we'll do it. But not toenails, okay?"

"How long will it take to make, anyway?" said Harry as Hermione, looking happier, opened the book again.

"Well, since the fluxweed has got to be picked at the full moon and the lacewings have got to be stewed for twenty-one days… I'd say it'd be ready in about a month, if we can get all the ingredients."

"A month?" said Ron.

"Hermione, if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, he could attack half the Muggle-borns in the school by then!" said Harry.

"Do you think it's worth the risk, I mean we've got no evidence against Draco being Slytherin's Heir other than he's in Slytherin's House." said Selena but Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously again, and she added swiftly, "But it's the best plan we've got, so full steam ahead, I say."

However, while Hermione was checking that the coast was clear for them to leave the bathroom, Ron muttered to Harry, "It'll be a lot less hassle if you just knock Malfoy off his broom tomorrow."

Selena rolled her eyes. There was no point in arguing to Ron about it in here. He disliked Draco to the core.

* * *

Harry woke early on Saturday morning and lay for a while thinking about the coming Quidditch match. He was nervous, mainly at the thought of what Wood would say if Gryffindor lost, but also at the idea of facing a team mounted on the fastest racing brooms gold could buy. He had never wanted to beat Slytherin so badly. After half an hour of lying there with his insides churning, he got up, dressed, and went down to breakfast early, where he found the rest of the Gryffindor team huddled at the long, empty table, all looking uptight and not speaking much.

As eleven o'clock approached, the whole school started to make its way down to the Quidditch stadium. It was a muggy sort of day with a hint of thunder in the air. Ron, Hermione and Selena came hurrying over to wish Harry good luck and Selena gave him a bear hug as he entered the locker rooms. The team pulled on their scarlet Gryffindor robes, then sat down to listen to Wood's usual pre-match pep talk.

"Slytherin has better brooms than us," he began. "No point denying it. But we've got better people on our brooms. We've trained harder than they have, we've been flying in all weathers –" ("Too true," muttered George Weasley. "I haven't been properly dry since August") "and we're going to make them rue the day they let that little bit of slime, Malfoy, buy his way onto their team." Chest heaving with emotion, Wood turned to Harry.

"It'll be down to you, Harry, to show them that a Seeker has to have something more than a rich father. Get to that Snitch before Malfoy or die trying, Harry, because we've got to win today, we've got to."

"So no pressure, Harry," said Fred, winking at him.

As they walked out onto the pitch, a roar of noise greeted them; mainly cheers, because Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were anxious to see Slytherin beaten, but the Slytherins in the crowd made their boos and hisses heard, too. Madam Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands, which they did, giving each other threatening stares and gripping rather harder than was necessary.

"On my whistle," said Madam Hooch. "Three… two… one…"

With a roar from the crowd to speed them upward, the fourteen players rose toward the leaden sky. Harry flew higher than any of them, squinting around the Snitch.

"All right there, Scarhead?" yelled Malfoy, shooting underneath him as though to show off the speed of his broom.

Harry had no time to reply. At that very moment, a heavy black Bludger came pelting toward him; he avoided it no narrowly that he felt it ruffle his hair as it passed.

"Close one, Harry!" said George, streaking past him with his club in his hand, ready to knock the Bludger back toward a Slytherin. Harry saw George give the Bludger a powerful whack in the direction of Adrian Pucey, but the Bludger changed direction in mid-air and shot straight for Harry again.

Harry dropped quickly to avoid it, and George managed to hit it hard toward Malfoy. Once again, the Bludger swerved like a boomerang and shot at Harry's head.

Up in the stands, Selena was biting her nails, tears forming in her eyes. "What's going on with that Bludger!" she cried over the gasps and screams from the other Gryffindors.

"It's been tampered with, that's what!" shouted Vanessa. She had to shout as the crowd began screaming, unable to do anything other than sit tight and watch as Harry picked up speed, zooming toward the other end of the pitch with the Bludger whistling behind him. No one had any idea what was going on. Bludgers weren't supposed to concentrate on one player like this; it was their job to try and unseat as many people as possible…

Ron held out his broken wand. "I'll stop it!"

"No, don't!" Hermione snapped, wrenching his wand out of his hand.

"Hermione's right Ron, even with a proper wand it's too risky. You could hit Harry." said Adeline.

"We have to do something, that Bludger's gonna take my brother's head off." cried Selena.

"Then stop the Bludger!" Odessa shouted.

"You heard Adeline, I might hit Harry!"

"HAVE YOU GONE MAD! ARE YOU TELEKINETIC OR NOT!"

"Oh right!" Selena cried, shoving them out of the way to get a clear view.

Concentrating on the Bludger was difficult as the ball was zooming at the speed of the Slytherin team. The Bludger was putting up a great fight. It pulled through like a person walking through a hurricane and Selena was building up a sweat and her head hurt like her brain was being crushed. She tasted iron on her tongue and Hermione gave a yell. "Selena, stop! You're bleeding!" she was pointing at Selena's nose.

Selena reached up to her cupids bow and saw a red smear on her fingers. Her nose was bleeding. "Stop! Stop!" Hermione cried, urging Selena to stop using her powers. Selena did, and her head felt like it had been deflated. Adeline quickly handed Selena a handkerchief. Selena held the handkerchief to her bleeding nose and tilted her head back, pinching her nostrils shut. "What happened?" Ron asked, seeing the blood staining the handkerchief.

"I think you must have popped a blood vessel Selena, you may have pushed your powers too far." said Hermione.

"Does it hurt in anyway?" Odessa asked rubbing Selena's back.

"Ma head feels ike it's ben deflated!" Selena slurred, her voice sounding funny due to her nose being squashed shut.

"Maybe you should rest." said Odessa.

"But what bout 'arry!" Selena argued.

"I'm sure Fred and George will look out for him." Vanessa said, urging Selena to sit down. She gulped and whispered. "Let's hope so."

It had started to rain; Harry felt heavy drops fall onto his face splattering onto his glasses. He didn't have a clue what was going on in the rest of the game until he heard lee Jordan, who was commentating, say, "Slytherin lead, sixty points to zero."

The Slytherins' superior brooms were clearly doing their jobs, and meanwhile the mad Bludger was doing all it could to knock Harry out of the air. Fred and George were now flying so close to him on either side that harry could see nothing at all except their flailing arms and had no chance to look for the Snitch, let alone catch it.

"Someone's – tampered – with – this – Bludger –" Fred grunted, swinging his bat will all his might as it launched a new attack on Harry.

"We need time out," said George, trying to signal to Wood and stop the Bludger breaking Harry's nose at the same time.

Wood had obviously got the message. Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and Harry, Fred and George dived for the ground, still trying to avoid the mad Bludger.

"What's going on?" said Wood as the Gryffindor team huddled together, while Slytherins in the crowd jeered. "We're being flattened. Fred, George, where were you when that Bludger stopped Angelina scoring?"

"Twenty feet above her, stopping another Bludger from murdering Harry, Oliver," said George angrily. "Someone's fixed it – it won't leave Harry alone. It hasn't gone for anyone else all game. The Slytherins must have done something to it."

"But the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch's office since our last practice, and there was nothing wrong with them then…" said Wood, anxiously.

Madam Hooch was walking toward them. Over her shoulder, Harry could see the Slytherin team jeering and pointing in his direction.

"Listen," said Harry as she came nearer and nearer, "with you two flying around me all the time the only way I'm going to catch the Snitch is if it flies up my sleeve. Go back to the rest of the team and let me deal with the rogue one."

"Don't be thick," said Fred. "It'll take your head off." Wood was looking from Harry to the Weasleys.

"Oliver, this is insane," said Alicia Spinnet angrily. "You can't let Harry deal with that thing on his own. Let's ask for an inquiry…"

"If we stop now, we'll have to forfeit the match!" said Harry. "And we're not losing to Slytherin just because of a crazy Bludger! Come on, Oliver, tell them to leave me alone!"

"This is all your fault," George said angrily to Wood. "'Get the Snitch or die trying,' what a stupid thing to tell him!"

Madam Hooch had joined them.

"Ready to resume play?" she asked Wood.

Wood looked at the determined look on Harry's face.

"All right," he said. "Fred, George, you heard Harry – leave him alone and let him deal with the Bludger on his own."

The rain was falling more heavily now. On Madam Hooch's whistle, Harry kicked hard into the air and heard the telltale whoosh of the Bludger behind him. Higher and higher Harry climbed; he looped and swooped, spiralled, zigzagged, and rolled. Slightly dizzy, he nevertheless kept his eyes wide open, rain was speckling his glasses and ran up his nostrils as he hung upside down, avoiding another fierce dive from the Bludger. He could hear laughter from the crowd; he knew he must look very stupid, but the rogue Bludger was heavy and couldn't change direction as quickly as Harry could; he began a kind of roller coaster ride around the edges of the stadium, squinting through the silver sheets of rain to the Gryffindor goal posts, where Adrian Pucey was trying to get past Wood…

For an agonizing moment, Harry hung in mid-air, not daring to speed toward Malfoy in case he looked up and saw the Snitch.

WHAM

He had stayed still a second too long. The Bludger had hit him at last, smashed into his elbow, and Harry felt his arm break. Dimly, dazed by the searing pain in his arm, he slid sideways on his rain drenched broom, one knee still crooked over it, his right arm dangling useless at his side – the Bludger came pelting back for a second attack, this time aiming at his face – Harry swerved out of the way, one idea firmly lodged in his numb brain: get to Malfoy.

Through a haze of rain and pain he dived for the shimmering, sneering face below him and saw its eyes widened with fear: Malfoy though Harry was attacking him.

"What the –" he gasped, careening out of Harry's way.

Harry took his remaining hand of his broom and made a wild snatch; he felt his fingers close on the cold Snitch but now only gripping the broom with his legs, and there was a yell from the crowd below as he headed straight for the ground, trying hard not to pass out.

With a splattering thud he hit the mud and rolled off his broom. His arm was hanging at a very strange angle; riddled with pain, he heard, as though from a distance, a good deal of whistling and shouting. He focused on the Snitch clutched in his good hand.

"Aha," he said vaguely. "We've won." And he fainted.

He came around, raining falling on his face, still lying on the field, with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth.

"Oh no, not you," he moaned.

"Doesn't know what he's saying," said Lockhart loudly to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. Selena was kneeling in the mud beside Harry, holding a blood-stained handkerchief to her nose. "What happened to you?" Harry asked Selena.

"I was trying to stop the Bludger from killing you, but I ended up with a nose bleed. I'll be fine – Professor I really think he should go to the Hospital Wing!" Selena suddenly said as Lockhart starting to gently roll back Harry's sleeve. "Nonsense Selena, your brother is in good hands with me. Don't worry, Harry. I'm about to fix your arm."

"No!" said Harry. "I'll keep it like this, thanks…"

He tried to move, but the pain was terrible. He heard a familiar clicking noise nearby. Selena heard it too as she jerked her head in the direction the clicking was coming from and yelled: "COLIN IF YOU DON'T GET OFF THIS PITCH IN THE NEXT FIVE SECONDS, I'M GOING TO SMASH THAT CAMERA!" The clicking stopped instantly and Selena heard a choking whimper nearby. Of course, she was never going to break the camera. Perhaps it was the annoyance of Colin following them around whenever he could that made Selena lose her temper.

"Remain calm, Harry," said Lockhart soothingly. "It's a simple charm I've used countless times –"

"Why can't I just go to the hospital wing?" said Harry through clenched teeth.

"He really should, Professor," said a muddy Wood, who couldn't help grinning even though his Seeker was injured. "Great Capture, Harry, really spectacular, your best yet, I'd say –"

Through the thicket of legs around him, Harry spotted Fred and George Weasley, wrestling the rogue Bludger into a box. It was still putting up a terrific fight.

"Stand back," said Lockhart, who was rolling up his jade green sleeves.

"No – don't –" said harry weakly, but Lockhart was twirling his wand and a second later had directed it straight at Harry's arm.

A strange and unpleasant sensation started at Harry's shoulder and spread all the way down to his fingertips. It felt as though his arm was being deflated. He didn't dare look at what was happening. He had shut his eyes, his face turned away from his arm, but his worst fears were realized as the people above him gasped and Selena was shrieking. His arm didn't hurt anymore – nor did it feel remotely like an arm.

"What did you do?" Selena snapped at Lockhart. "What have you done to my brother?!"

"Uh," said Lockhart. "Yes. Well, don't worry Selena, that can sometimes happen. But the point is, the bones are no longer broken. That's the thing to bear in mind, Selena. So, Harry, just toddle up to the hospital wing – ah, Miss. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss. Granger, would you escort him? – and Madam Pomfrey will be able to – er – tidy you up a bit."

As Selena helped Harry to his feet, he felt strangely lopsided. Taking a deep breath, he looked down at his right side. What he saw nearly made him pass out again. Poking out of the end of his robes was what looked like a thick, flesh-coloured rubber glove. He tried to move his fingers. Nothing happened.

Lockhart hadn't mended Harry's bones. He had removed them.

Madam Pomfrey wasn't at all pleased.

"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp reminder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second – but growing them back –"

"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pyjamas. "You'll have to stay the night… now as for you Miss. Potter," she said turning to Selena and removing the now blood-soaked rag of what used to be a handkerchief from her nose. Selena's nose was still bleeding, and lumpy clots were forming, clogging her nostrils. "How did this happen?"

"I was trying to use my telekinesis to stop a mad Bludger from attacking Harry, but my head started to hurt and now my nose is bleeding." Selena explained, wiping away more blood that leaked out of her nose with the back of her hand.

"How does your head feel now?" Madam Pomfrey asked with a slightly softer expression.

"Like it's not even there, and the bleeding won't stop."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and tossed her a pair of pyjamas as well. "I'll keep you here overnight, just so I can monitor you Miss. Potter. You two can keep each other company."

Hermione and Selena waited outside the curtain drawn around Harry's bed while Ron helped him into his pyjamas. It took a while to stuff the rubbery, boneless arm into a sleeve.

Selena was already dressed in her pyjamas and she held a clean rag under her nose. Madam Pomfrey wanted to keep her overnight if the bleeding didn't stop after ten minutes. Nose bleeds were easy to fix as they usually stopped on their own after five minutes, but Selena had to have been bleeding for half an hour. She had been given some Blood-Replenishing Potion to make up for the amount of blood she had lost, but Madam Pomfrey was worried the nosebleed was linked to Selena's telekinesis. From what little information there was about telekinesis, only Muggle Telekinetics suffered nosebleeds after using their powers, but it was unconfirmed if the same occurred in Wizards and Witches just at an exhausting level.

"How can you stick up for Lockhart after that, Hermione, eh?" Ron called through the curtain as he pulled Harry's limp fingers through the cuff. "If Harry wanted a deboning he would have asked."

"Anyone can make a mistake," said Hermione. "And it doesn't hurt anymore, does it, Harry?"

"No," said Harry, getting into bed. But it doesn't do anything else either."

"Here, here," slurred Selena.

As Harry swung himself onto the bed, his arm flapped pointlessly.

Hermione, Selena and Madam Pomfrey came around the curtain. Madam Pomfrey was holding a large bottle of something labelled Skele Gro.

"You're in for a rough night, Potter," she said, pouring out a steaming beakerful and handing it to Harry. "Regrowing bones is a nasty business."

So was taking the Skele Gro. It burned Harry's mouth and throat as it went down, making him cough and splutter. Still tut tutting about dangerous sports and inept teachers, Madam Pomfrey retreated, leaving Ron, Hermione and Selena to help Harry gulp down some water.

"We won, though," said Ron, a grin breaking across his face. "That was some catch you made. Malfoy's face… he looked ready to slaughter you!"

"I want to know who fixed that Bludger," said Selena darkly, "in a way, it's injured both of us."

"We can add that to the list of questions we'll ask Malfoy when we've taken the Polyjuice Potion," said Harry, sinking back onto his pillows. "I hope it tastes better than this stuff…"

"If it's got bits of Slytherins in it? You've got to be joking," said Ron.

"Cheer up, that Blood-Replenishing Potion tastes like licking a penny." said Selena jokingly.

"Had a lot of experiences with that, Selena?" Hermione grinned.

Selena gave her a look.

The door to the hospital wing burst open at that moment. Filthy and soaking wet, the rest of the Gryffindor team had arrived to see Harry. "Unbelievable flying, Harry," said George. "I've just seen Marcus Flint yelling at Malfoy. Something about having the Snitch on top of his head and not noticing. Malfoy didn't seem to happy."

Fred looked over and noticed Selena. "What happened with you?" he asked her.

"I tried to stop the Bludger from attacking Harry and my nose started bleeding. It hasn't stopped either." Selena explained.

Wood only heard bits of her explanation and glared. "Were you the one controlling the Bludger?!"

Fred and George, along with the other members of the Gryffindor team gave their Captain an 'are you serious?' look.

"Yeah Oliver, Selena tried to murder her own brother," Fred said sarcastically, "that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I was trying to stop the Bludger, not egg it on!" Selena sneered, though it was hard to tell because of the rag on her nose.

Oliver's face flushed as he stammered out an apology to Selena. The team had brought cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice; they gathered around Harry's bed and were just getting started on what promised to be a good party when Madam Pomfrey came storming over shouting, "This boy needs rest, he's got thirty-three bones to regrow! And this girl has lost a lot of blood! Out! OUT!" And the twins were left alone to distract Harry from the stabbing pains in his limp arm and the blood leaking out of Selena's nostrils.

Hours and hours later, Harry woke quite suddenly in the pitch blackness and gave a small yelp of pain: His arm now felt full of large splinters. Selena woke sooner to his yelp and sat up. Her nose had stopped bleeding and her cupids bow was now smeared and stained with red. For a second, they thought that it was the pain in Harry's arm that had technically woken them both up. Then, with a thrill of horror, Selena realized that someone was sponging Harry's forehead in the dark.

"Hey, what are you –" she said loudly, and then, "Dobby!"

The house-elf's goggling tennis ball eyes were peering at the twins through the darkness. A single tear was running down his long, pointed nose.

"The Potter Twins came back to school," he whispered miserably. "Dobby warned and warned them both. Ah sir, miss, why did neither of you need Dobby?"

"Why didn't Harry Potter and Selena Potter go back home when they missed the train?" Harry and Selena heaved themselves up on their pillows and Harry pushed Dobby's sponge away.

"What are you doing here?" he said.

"And how did you know we missed the train?" Selena asked suspiciously. Dobby's lip trembled, and the twins were seized by the sudden realization.

"It was you!" Selena said slowly. "You stopped the barrier from letting us through!"

"Indeed yes, miss," said Dobby, nodding his head vigorously, ears flapping. "Dobby hid and watched for Harry Potter and Selena Potter and sealed the gateway. Dobby had to iron his hands afterward" – he showed them ten long, bandaged fingers – "But Dobby didn't care, sir, miss, for he thought Harry Potter and Selena Potter were safe, but never did Dobby dream that Harry Potter and Selena Potter would get to school another way!"

He was rocking backward and forward, shaking his ugly head.

"Dobby was so shocked when he heard Harry Potter and Selena Potter were back at Hogwarts, he let his master's dinner burn! Such a flogging Dobby never had, sir, miss…"

Harry and Selena slumped back onto their pillows.

"You nearly got Ron and us expelled," Harry said fiercely, while Selena glared dangerously at the elf. "You'd better clear off before my bones come back, Dobby, or we might strangle you."

Dobby smiled weakly.

"Dobby is used to death threats, sir. Dobby gets them five times a day at home."

He blew his nose on a corner of the filthy pillowcase he wore, looking so pathetic that Harry and Selena felt their anger ebb away in spite of themselves.

"Why d'you wear that thing, Dobby?" Selena asked curiously.

"This, miss?" said Dobby, plucking at the pillowcase. "'Tis a mark of the house-elf's enslavement, miss. Dobby can only be freed if his masters present him with clothes, miss. The family is careful not to pass Dobby even a sock, miss, for then he would be free to leave their house forever."

Dobby mopped his bulging eyes and said suddenly, "Harry Potter and Selena Potter must go home! Dobby thought his Bludger would be enough to make –"

"Your Bludger?" said Harry, anger rising once more. "You made that Bludger chase after me?"

"If you wanted to protect us, why did you try to kill Harry!" Selena hissed aggressively. "Because of you we're both in here over night. Do you know how much blood I lost just from a nosebleed!"

"Dobby never wanted to kill Harry Potter, miss," said Dobby shocked. "Ah, miss, Dobby forgot that Selena Potter was a telekinetic, all the more reason to protect her, miss, the only telekinetic witch in the whole world. Dobby regrets that Selena Potter was injured too, all by Dobby's doing. Dobby only wanted to save Harry Potter and Selena Potter's lives! Better be sent home, grievously injured, than remain here, sir, miss!"

"Oh, is that all?" said Harry angrily. "I don't suppose you're going to tell us why you wanted us sent home in pieces?"

"Ah, if Harry Potter and Selena Potter only knew!" Dobby groaned, more tears dripping onto his ragged pillowcase. "If they knew what they mean to us, to the lowly, the enslaved, wee drags of the magical world! Dobby remembers how it was when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was at the height of his powers, sir, miss! We house-elves were treated like vermin, sir, miss! Of course, Dobby is still treated like vermin, sir, miss," he admitted, drying his face on the pillowcase. "But mostly, sir, miss, life has improved for my kind since you two triumphed over He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Harry Potter and Selena Potter survived, and the Dark Lord's power was broken, and it was a new dawn, sir, miss, and Harry Potter and Selena Potter shone like beacons of hope for those of us who thought the Dark days would never end, sir, miss… And now, at Hogwarts, terrible things are to happen, are perhaps happening already, and Dobby cannot let Harry Potter and Selena Potter stay here now that history is to repeat itself, now that the Chamber of Secrets is open once more –"

Dobby froze, horror struck, then grabbed the water jug from the bedside table and cracked it over his own head, toppling out of sight. A second later, he crawled onto Selena's bed, cross eyed, muttering, "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby…"

"So there is a Chamber of Secrets?" Harry whispered. "And you said it has been opened before? Tell us, Dobby!"

Selena quickly grabbed his bony wrist as Dobby's hand inched toward the water jug. "Neither Harry or I are Muggle-born – how can we be in danger from the Chamber?"

"Ah, miss, ask no more, ask no more of poor Dobby," stammered the elf, his eyes huge in the dark. "Dark deeds are planned in this place, but Harry Potter and Selena Potter must not be here when they happen – go home, Harry Potter and Selena Potter, go home. Harry Potter and Selena Potter must not meddle in this, sir, miss, 'tis too dangerous –"

"Who is it, Dobby?" Harry said as Selena kept a firm hold on Dobby's wrist to stop him from leaving.

"Who's opened it? Who opened it last time?" Selena hissed.

"Dobby can't say, miss, Dobby can't, Dobby mustn't tell!" squealed the elf. "Go home, Potter Twins, go home!"

"We're not going anywhere!" said Harry and Selena fiercely.

"One of our best friends and one of Selena's dorm mates are both Muggle-born; they'll be first in line if the Chamber really has been opened –"

"We're not leaving when our friends are in possible danger." hissed Selena.

"Harry Potter and Selena Potter risks their own lives for their friends!" moaned Dobby in a kind of miserable ecstasy. "So noble! So valiant! But they must save themselves, they must, Harry Potter and Selena Potter must not –"

Dobby suddenly froze, his bat ears quivering. Harry and Selena heard it, too. There were footsteps coming down the passageway outside.

"Dobby must go!" breathed the elf, terrified. There was a loud crack, and Selena's fist was suddenly clenched on thin air. The twins slumped back into bed, their eyes on the dark doorway to the hospital wing as the footsteps drew nearer.

Next moment, Dumbledore was backing into the dormitory, wearing a long woolly dressing gown and a nightcap. He was carrying one end of what looked like a statue. Professor McGonagall appeared a second later, carrying its feet. Together, they heaved it onto a bed.

"Get Madam Pomfrey," whispered Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall hurried past the end of Harry and Selena's bed out of sight. The twins lay quite still, pretending to be asleep. They heard urgent voice, and then Professor McGonagall swept back into view, closely followed by Madam Pomfrey, who was pulling a cardigan on over her nightdress. He heard a sharp intake of breath.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey whispered to Dumbledore, bending over the statue on the bed.

"There's been another attack," said Dumbledore. "Minerva found him on the stairs."

"There was a bunch of grapes next to him," said Professor McGonagall. "We think he was trying to sneak up here to visit the Potters."

Harry and Selena's stomachs gave a horrible lurch. Slowly and carefully, they raised themselves a few inches, so they could at the statue on the bed. A ray of moonlight lay across its staring face. Selena felt her stomach sink.

It was Colin Creevey. His eyes were wide and his hands were stuck up in front of him, holding his camera.

"Petrified?" whispered Madam Pomfrey.

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "But I shudder to think… If Albus hadn't been on the way downstairs for hot chocolate – who knows might have –"

The three of them stared down at Colin. Then Dumbledore leaned forward and wrenched the camera out of Colin's rigid grip.

"You don't think he managed to get a picture of his attacker?" said Professor McGonagall eagerly.

Dumbledore didn't answer. He opened the back of the camera.

"Good gracious!" said Madam Pomfrey.

A jet of steam had hissed out of the camera. Harry and Selena, three beds away, caught the acrid scent of burnt plastic.

"Melted," said Madam Pomfrey wonderingly. "All melted…"

"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked urgently.

"It means," said Dumbledore, "that the Chamber of Secrets indeed open again."

Madam Pomfrey clapped a hand to her mouth. Professor McGonagall stared at Dumbledore.

"But, Albus… surely… who?"

"The question is not who Minerva," said Dumbledore, his eyes on Colin.

"The question is, how…"


	11. McGonagall's Advice

Harry and Selena woke up on Sunday morning to find the hospital wing blazing with winter sunlight and Harry's arm had been reboned, but it was very stiff. Selena's nose had stopped bleeding hours ago and her head felt much better than it did yesterday, but she felt ready to puke. She had shouted at Colin at the end of the Quidditch match yesterday threatening to break his camera. She had been bluffing, but Colin was clearly hurt, now he had ended up Petrified. Now she wished she could apologise to Colin for what she said, but it was out of the question now. Selena hoped that Colin knew that she didn't mean what she said when he threatened him.

The twins sat up quickly and looked over at Colin's bed, but it had been blocked from view by the high curtains Harry had changed behind yesterday. Seeing that they were awake, Madam Pomfrey came bustling over with breakfast trays and then began bending and stretching Harry's arm and fingers.

"All in order," she said as he clumsily fed himself porridge left handed. Madam Pomfrey turned to Selena. "Now Miss. Potter, from what I can gather, you suffered internal bleeding when you pushed your powers too far. I would suggest you shouldn't push yourself too far until your powers have matured a bit more. Just take things easy. If your nose starts bleeding again after using your powers, come straight to me. When the two of you have finished eating, you may leave."

Harry and Selena dressed quickly as they could and hurried off to Gryffindor Tower, desperate to tell Ron and Hermione about Colin and Dobby, but they weren't there. Harry and Selena left to look for them, wondering where they could have got to and the feeling slightly hurt that they weren't interested in whether they were feeling better or not.

As the twins passed the library, Percy Weasley strolled out of it, looking in far better spirits than last time they'd met. "Oh, hello, Harry, Selena," he said. "Excellent flying yesterday Harry, really excellent. Gryffindor has just taken the lead for the House Cup – you earned fifty points."

"You haven't seen Ron or Hermione, have you?" said Selena.

"No, I haven't," said Percy, his smile fading. "I hope Ron's not in another girls' toilet…"

Harry and Selena both forced a laugh, watching Percy walk out of sight, and then headed straight for Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. They couldn't see why Ron and Hermione would be in there again, but after making sure that neither Filch or any prefects were around, Harry opened the door and heard their voices coming from the locked stall.

"It's us," Harry said, closing the door behind them. There was a clunk, a splash, and a gasp from within the stall and they saw Hermione's eye peering through the keyhole.

"Harry! Selena!" she said. "You gave us such a fright – come in – Harry how's your arm? Selena, I do hope the bleeding wasn't anything serious."

"My arms fine Hermione," said Harry, squeezing into the stall after Selena. An old cauldron was perched on the toilet, and a crackling from under the rim told the twins they had lit a fire beneath it. Conjuring up portable, waterproof fires was a speciality of Hermione's.

"Madam Pomfrey said that I pushed my powers over their limit. They mustn't have matured to an extreme level yet." Explained Selena, leaning in closer to the cauldron. "What are you two doing here anyway?"

"We'd've come up to the hospital wing, but we decided to get started on the Polyjuice Potion," Ron explained to Selena, with difficulty, locked the stall again. "We've decided this is the safest place to hide it."

Harry started to tell them about Colin, but Hermione interrupted.

"We already know – we heard Professor McGonagall telling Professor Flitwick this morning. That's why we decided we'd better get going –"

"The sooner we get a confession out of Malfoy, the better," snarled Ron. "D'you know what I think? He was in such a foul temper after the Quidditch match, he took it out on Colin."

"Draco's never even met Colin." Selena argued.

"There's something else," interrupted Harry, watching Hermione tearing bundles of knotgrass and throwing them into the potion. "Dobby came to visit us in the middle of the night."

Ron and Hermione looked up, amazed. Harry told them everything Dobby had told them – or hadn't told him. Hermione and Ron listened with their mouths open.

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened before?" Hermione said.

"This settles it," said Ron in a triumphant voice. "Lucius Malfoy must've opened the Chamber when he was at school here and now he's told dear old Draco how to do it. It's obvious."

Selena shook her head. "Ron, we don't even know how long ago it has been since the Chamber of Secrets was opened the first time. How do we even know if Lucius Malfoy was even at Hogwarts when it was opened?" She paused a second to control her rising temper. "Honestly, you go through any means to label Draco as a monster, simply because his father is rumoured to be in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

"It's not a rumour Selena, it's fact. Lucius only denies it so he won't get locked up for life in Azkaban Prison. Wish Dobby'd told you two what kind of monster's in the Chamber, though. I want to know how come nobody's noticed it sneaking around the school."

"Maybe it can make itself invisible," said Hermione, prodding leeches to the bottom of the cauldron. "Or maybe it can disguise itself – pretend to be a suit of armour or something – I've read about Chameleon Ghouls –"

"You read too much, Hermione," said Ron, pouring dead lacewings on top of the leeches. He crumbled up the empty lacewing bag and looked at Harry and Selena.

"So Dobby stopped us from getting on the train and broke your arm" – he looked to Harry, then turned to Selena – "then cause you to get a nosebleed." He shook his head. "You know what, Harry and Selena? If he doesn't stop trying to save your lives he's going to kill you."

The news that Colin Creevey had been attacked and was now lying as though dead in the hospital wing had spread through the entire school by Monday morning. The air was suddenly thick with rumour and suspicion. The first years were now moving around the castle in tight knit groups, as though they would be attacked if they ventured forth alone.

Ginny Weasley, who sat next to Colin Creevey in Charms, was distraught, but Harry and Selena felt that Fred and George were going the wrong way about cheering her up. They were taking turns covering themselves with fur or boils and jumping out at her from behind statues. They only stopped when Percy, apoplectic with rage, told them he was going to write to Mrs. Weasley and tell her Ginny was having nightmares.

Meanwhile, hidden from the teachers, a roaring trade in talismans, amulets, and other protective devices was sweeping the school. Neville Longbottom bought a large, evil smelling green onion, a pointed purple crystal, and a rotting newt tail before the other Gryffindor boys pointed out that he was in no danger; he was a pureblood, and therefore unlikely to be attacked.

"They went for Filch first," Neville said, his round face fearful. "And everyone knows I'm almost a Squib."

* * *

Selena clutched her winter cloak tightly to her body as she walked through the icy squelch that was the banks of the Black Lake. The lake itself was freezing and thawing out on and off, becoming an icy slush and the sky was turning that beautiful winter purple from the twilight approaching. Already a few faint twinkles of stars were visible in the inky sky.

The oak tree had lost all its leaves and now stood bare and barren, it's thick branches stretching out like giant twigs covered in rain and frost.

Selena heard the sound of a fire crackling at the base of the tree and saw Draco sitting cross-legged, huddled around a small fire pit bordered by rocks from the lakes edge. There wasn't anything special about it, it was just a normal, ordinary fire pit, but Selena suspected that Draco had lit the fire using magic. He looked up when he heard her footsteps approaching her, his pale face now flushed pink from the heat of the fire. "Care to explain why you wanted to meet me here, Moonlight?" he asked, pulling his own cloak tighter around himself.

Selena went to sit as close to the fire as possible but ended up sitting on a wet patch of icy lawn. Draco turned to her, noticing her fidgeting. "Hey, come sit here." He said, patting at the dry ground between his spread legs. Selena looked back at him. She was thankful that the fire was giving off such as intense heat, Draco didn't notice her blush, not that he could tell if she was or not. "A-are you sure, Draco?"

"Sure, we're friends, aren't we? You'll be a lot for comfortable sitting with me." Selena crawled on her hands and knees and positioned herself comfortably between his legs. Draco pulled his cloak around the both of them for extra warmth. Now they looked like a single individual under the cloak, but with two heads poking out. "You going to tell me why you asked to meet me here?"

Selena nodded. "Yes, Draco – you heard about what happened to Colin Creevey, right?"

"Of course, I've heard," Draco nodded, "the whole school's talking about it. What about him?"

"Well, at the Quidditch game, after that rogue Bludger broke Harry's arm, Colin was taking pictures of it and I lost it."

"What did you do?"

"I-I threatened to break his camera if he didn't get off the pitch."

Draco gasped, shocked. "Selena, that's not like you."

"I didn't mean it, but I never got a chance to apologise for hurting his feelings. Now he's Petrified." Selena murmured as a warm, wet tear fell down her cheek.

Draco leaned in and kissed it away, his lips brushing against her cheek for the briefest second. Selena's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opened in a perfect, pink 'O'. Draco's usually pale face turned bright red. To Selena he looked like deep red strawberry dusted with icing sugar. His silver eyes were widened to the size of golf balls at what it he had just done. "I'm sorry, was that too much?"

"No… that was… um… nice…" Selena stammered. She could feel Draco's heart beating wildly as she laid against his chest, her head resting in the crook her his neck.

Draco cleared his throat awkwardly. "Why did you snap at Colin?"

"Ever since Harry and I met him, he's been wanting to take pictures of us and have us sign them. Lockhart's not helping at all, how many times either Harry or I have been called up to act out his greatest defeats in Defence Against the Dark Arts. I guess I had grown so frustrated I took it out on Colin."

"Can totally see your reason behind it," said Draco, his face still red from blushing. "No one wants to be famous for something that they don't even remember."

"Especially when that incident has also left them orphans." said Selena, hanging her head sadly. "The only reason Harry and I survived was because our mother sacrificed herself for us. Dumbledore told us that evil couldn't touch us, because we were marked by our mother's loving sacrifice."

"The power of a mother's love for her children, how cliché." said Draco rolling his eyes. "But I think that was a very brave thing your mother did."

"Without her, Harry and I wouldn't be alive."

"Without her, I never would have met you." Draco whispered in her ear.

Selena sighed, enjoying the feeling of being in Draco's arms. She had been thinking about asking him if he knew who might be behind the attacks and who the Heir of Slytherin would be. She didn't want to use the Polyjuice Potion to get information from Draco, not when he was being this tender towards her.

"What are you thinking about Selena?" he asked her.

Selena gulped. Screw what Harry, Ron and Hermione thought. She was getting answers from Draco with or without the Polyjuice Potion. "I've been thinking about what everyone else is thinking about. Who's behind the attacks of the Chamber of Secrets. Do you have any idea who might be behind the attacks?"

Draco shook his head. "No, I'm just as stumped as everyone else. Us Slytherins are being given hell from a couple of people from the other houses, saying that it's one of us."

"Simply because you're in Slytherin's house," Selena added, rolling her eyes. "So, you don't know anything about the Chamber."

"Oh, I do, my Father told me about it. He was saying that the Chamber should be opened every year to rid the school of all Muggle-borns."

"How did your Father learn about the Chamber, was he at Hogwarts when it was opened the first time?"

Draco snorted a laugh. "Merlin no, Father's not that old. It's been fifty years since the Chamber was opened the first time…" he trailed off and his face fell.

Selena spotted this instantly. Playing dumb, acting like she had just learned that the Chamber had been opened before she said, "First time? You mean the Chamber has been opened before, what happened?"

"What's starting to happen now. Students are being Petrified by the monster and then…" he sighed shakily.

Selena leaned in closer, eager to get some information out of him. "What happened?" she asked.

Draco shook his head, shifting slightly on the spot. "I… I think it would be best if you didn't know what happened then. Look about Colin, you should leave a card for him in the hospital wing, saying that you were sorry for what you said. That way when he comes around, he'll know that you're sorry." Selena wondered if the reason Draco was avoiding the question was linked to what horror lay within the Chamber.

She decided that she had heard enough and concluded that her suspicions were correct. Draco knew nothing about who was behind the attacks or who had opened the Chamber, but he had given her some help in piecing together the mystery that was behind the Chamber of Secrets. She now knew that it had been fifty years since the Chamber of Secrets had been opened.

A chilly breeze blowing from behind flicked them back into their senses. The sun had completely gone down and the stars were more visible in the inky purple sky.

"Night time," said Selena, getting up and adjusting her cloak.

Draco got up too, kicking mud and sand over the embers to quench the flames.

"We better get going." Selena shivered.

Draco pulled her under his cloak, whipped out his wand, muttered something under his breath and the tip of his wand lit up like a lightbulb.

"Come on, let's go." he murmured, his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to keep her warm. Holding out his wand as a light source, he led the way back to the light and safety of the Hogwarts Castle.

* * *

In the second week of December Professor McGonagall came around as usual, collecting names of those who would be staying at school for Christmas. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena had signed up at once; they had heard rumours that Draco was staying, which struck Harry, Ron and Hermione as very suspicious. Selena hadn't yet told them of the moment she had Draco shared or what she had learned. The holidays would be the perfect time to use the Polyjuice Potion and try to worm a confession out of him.

Unfortunately, the potion was only half finished. They still needed the Bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape's private stores. Harry privately felt he'd rather face Slytherin's legendary monster than let Snape catch him robbing his office. "What we need," said Hermione briskly as Thursday afternoon's double Potions lesson loomed nearer, "is a diversion. Then one of us can sneak into Snape's office and take what we need." Harry, Ron and Selena looked at her nervously.

"I think I'd better do the actual stealing," Hermione continued in a matter of fact tone. "You three will be expelled if you get into any more trouble, and I've got a clean record. So, all you need to do is cause enough mayhem to keep Snape busy for five minutes or so."

Harry smiled feebly. Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.

Potions lessons took place in one of the larger dungeons. Thursday afternoon's lesson proceeded in the usual way. Twenty cauldrons stood steaming between the wooden desks, on which stood brass scales and jars of ingredients. Snape prowled through the fumes, making waspish remarks about the Gryffindors' work (except Selena's) while a few of the Slytherins sniggered appreciatively. Draco Malfoy and Selena Potter, who were Snape's favourite student's, worked side by side on their individual potions, occasionally glancing at each other, smiling or blushing.

Harry's Swelling Solution was far too runny, but he had his mind on more important things. He was waiting for Hermione's signal, and he hardly listened as Snape paused to sneer at his watery potion. When Snape turned and walked off to bully Neville, Hermione caught Harry's eye and nodded.

Harry ducked swiftly down behind his cauldron, pulled one of Fred's Filibuster fireworks out of his pocket, and gave it a quick prod with his wand. The firework began to fizz and splutter. Knowing he only had seconds to spare, Harry straightened up, took aim, and lobbed it into the air; it landed right on target in Goyle's cauldron.

Goyle's potion exploded, showering the whole class. People shrieked as splashes of the Swelling Solution hit them. Draco got a face full after having pushed Selena out of the way and his nose began to swell like a balloon; Goyle blundered around, his hands over his eyes, which had expanded to the size of a dinner plate – Snape was trying to restore calm and find out what had happened. Through the confusion, Harry spotted Hermione slip quietly into Snape's office.

"Silence! SILENCE!" Snape roared. "Anyone who has been splashed, come here for a Deflating Draft – when I find out who did this –"

Harry felt a mixture of disgust and hilarity as he watched Selena help Draco to the front, supporting his head, which was sagging down from the weight of a nose like a small melon. His grin faded when he spotted Selena's left arm, which was starting to look like a long, flesh coloured sausage. She had been splashed, but by the looks of things she had only managed to get a single drop on her skin. As half the class lumbered up to Snape's desk, some weighted down with arms like clubs, others unable to talk through gigantic puffed up lips, Harry saw Hermione slide back into the dungeon, the front of her robes bulging.

When everyone had taken a swig of antidote and the various swellings had subsided, Snape swept over to Goyle's cauldron and scooped out the twisted black remains of the firework. There was a sudden hush.

"If I ever find out who threw this," Snape whispered, "I shall make sure that person is expelled."

Harry arranged his face into what he hoped was a puzzled expression. Snape was looking right at him, and the bell that rang ten minutes later could not have come sooner.

"He knew it was me," Harry told Ron and Hermione as they hurried back to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. "I could tell."

Hermione threw the new ingredients into the cauldron and began to stir feverishly.

"It'll be ready in two weeks," she said happily.

"Snape can't prove it was you," said Ron reassuringly to Harry. "What can he do?"

"Knowing Snape, something foul," said Harry as the potion frothed and bubbled. "you alright Selena, you're being very quiet."

Selena hadn't spoken at all since they entered Moaning Myrtles bathroom. Instead she stood still, arms folded, eyes locked at a patch of cubicle wall where the paint had peeled off.

"I'm fine Harry, I just don't like this idea of using Polyjuice Potion to interrogate Draco."

Ron groaned. "We've been over this a million times, how else are we going to get Malfoy to talk?"

Selena sighed. There was no point in beating around the bush. Bracing herself for the outrage that was to come, she said, "I've already spoken to Draco, and he knows nothing about who's behind the attacks." She closed her eyes, preparing for the yelling.

Ron was the first to yell. "ARE YOU CRAZY?!" his voice bounced off the walls of the bathroom and Moaning Myrtle gave a yelp of surprise from her cubicle. Hermione clamped her hand over Ron's mouth, shutting him up but her eyes held the same fury as Ron's. They held their breaths as footsteps passed by the bathroom door before fading out of earshot. Selena felt all eyes directed to her. She looked up from the floor and felt her stomach drop.

Harry had never looked so angry in his life. "Selena, what in Merlin's name were you thinking. If Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, you may have just blown the whole plan."

"I couldn't bear the thought of spying on a friend. If you three would give Draco a chance, you would realise that he's a normal kid that's got nothing to do with the attacks. You mark my words, Draco's just as stumped as us about all this."

"It seems to us that you fancy him?" Ron sneered, wrenching Hermione's hand off his mouth, "with you defending him all the time. Do you fancy Malfoy?"

"Stop calling him Malfoy, his name is Draco."

"You didn't answer my question, you do fancy him?"

"You don't have to answer that Selena," assured Harry with a slightly softer tone than Ron's.

"She's giving us an answer whether she wants to or not. Selena, do you like Malfoy?" Ron hissed.

Selena stammered a little bit, a pink tinge coming to her cheeks. Harry, Hermione and Ron's eyes all widened.

"Oh no, no, no…" Ron groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. "you've got to be joking. Selena, he's a Slytherin and his Father is one of You-Know-Who's followers."

"And he called me a Mudblood!" said Hermione.

Harry looked over at Selena, who was looking close to tears and stepped in. "Ron, Hermione, stop it. Can't you see you're upsetting her!"

"Mate, you're sister's in love with Malfoy." Ron argued.

"But that gives you no right to make her cry!" Harry hissed.

Selena had been clenching her hands into fists to the point where her skin had turned white and her nails had drawn blood. She was fighting the urge to keep her powers from exploding.

Finally, she snapped. "WHAT DOES IT MATTER? YOU'RE RIGHT! HE IS A SLYTHERIN! I DON'T WANT TO SPY ON HIM USING POLYJUICE POTION, BUT DO YOU THINK I HAVE A CHOICE!"

"So you…"

"NO! I DON'T LOVE HIM!"

The lock to the cubicle clicked on its own and the door swung open.

"Get. Out." Selena growled to Harry, Ron and Hermione, stunned speechless.

"Selena we…" Hermione stammered.

"I said get out. Now go before things get worse."

"We only…"

"ARE YOU THREE DEAF? I SAID GO!" she shouted, pointing at the bathroom door.

Harry, Ron and Hermione quickly scooted past her and out the door before they could agree on whether this was the best solution. Once their footsteps had completely fading out of ear shot, Selena slumped to the damp tile floor, crying into her robes uncontrollably.

"You don't have to say anything. I heard the whole thing." whistled Myrtle as she floated through the cubicle wall next to Selena.

Selena looked up the ghost with blood shot eyes. "Myrtle, I just want us all to get along, but they're too set on the fact that Draco is responsible for the attacks."

Myrtle nodded her head, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose while at it. "I see, what does Draco mean to you?"

"Everything. We're best friends, but you've already heard what Harry, Ron and Hermione think of that friendship. When I'm around Draco, I felt relaxed and I get this strange fluttery sensation when I'm never him. He makes me feel these things that I've never felt before and when we're separated, it's like having a constant stomach ache."

Myrtle narrowed her lips and gave a low whistle. "You've got it bad."

"Tell me about it. I never thought I'd be falling in love at twelve."

"I can agree on that Selena, you're far too young for that. I may have been dead for fifty years, but I still know what it feels like to love someone, even if you are young and confused."

"How old were you when… you… you know…"

"When I died?" answered Myrtle. "I was fourteen."

"So you're older than me."

"Technically, I'm older than some of your teachers, I still remember when Professor Flitwick was in first year, you wouldn't have recognised him if you had seen him. But as I died young, my soul will remain young however old a really am. But if you really want help in managing your feelings for Draco, I may not be the best person to give you advice. But I do know one person who can help you."

"Who?"

* * *

"Professor McGonagall?" Selena called as she opened the door to McGonagall's office.

McGonagall was sitting at her desk, in the middle of going through and marking Fourth Year Transfiguration homework. She looked up when she heard Selena come in.

"Miss. Potter, what are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply. "You should be studying in the library." McGonagall paused when she saw Selena's bloodshot eyes and her tear stained cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"I-I'm in need of some advice, I was told you were the best person to go to for what I need advice on."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow, pondering for a minute what Selena could mean. She nodded her head – waving her wand to make a chair move forward to the front of the desk. "Very well. Come, sit down. Tell me everything."

Selena smiled and walked over to Professor McGonagall's desk and sat down in the chair. Professor McGonagall set aside the scroll she had been marking and faced Selena. "Fire away."

Selena gulped, her head hung low and her hands folded in her lap. "There's… there's this boy I really like in my year."

Professor McGonagall was taken aback by this. "Selena, I am a Transfiguration Teacher, not some expert on love," – Selena looked up at McGonagall with pleading eyes – "But, as I have already agreed on helping you with your problem, I will do my best. You like this boy in your year."

Selena nodded. "Yes, we've been friends since first year. But since the end of last year, I've felt this fluttery sensation whenever I'm around him. I've tried to put it at the back of my head countless times. I kept telling myself it was because of a platonic friendship, but the more time I spend with him, the better I felt. Sounds cliché I know, but's it's true. I've never experienced these feelings before. Professor I think I'm falling in love with him, but I know I shouldn't be. I'm only twelve."

Suddenly Professor McGonagall understood what had Selena, so upset. "You're just going through your preteen stage. It's all a big part of growing up. Everyone goes through this, so you're not alone. When we're this young, we tend to feel these new emotions much more intensely as we're experiencing an attraction to someone for the first time. While these emotions you're feeling are as intense as they are now, they will eventually go away for now. When you are older, you will be ready. You can still continue your friendship with this boy, whoever he may be, but know this. If you truly love him, wait. Be patient, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. For now, put it at the back of your mind until you are older, whether you have moved on or not, then you will be ready for love."

"But Professor, that's not just it. Harry and this boy hate each other, so do Ron and Hermione. We got into a huge argument, saying that I shouldn't associate with him, I got angry and I shouted at them to leave. That's why I came to you. I don't know what to do, Professor. How can I put these feelings in the back of my mind and how can I get Harry, Ron and Hermione to understand?"

"It's not easy, but with time it will become a lot easier to bear. As for your brother and your friends, they had no right to tell you who you are friends with. Again, it will take them time. You are all young and learning new things, but when you're all mature enough, they will understand. Did that help?"

Selena looked up at the older witch and smiled. "Yes it did, thank you Professor."

"I'm glad it helped. Now, get on up to the Great Hall, the feast will be starting soon."

Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't see Selena in the common room, nor was she in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom when they came back to check on her. They had tried asking Myrtle where she had gone, but the ghost just gave them a cold glare and sprayed them all with water from a broken sink.

Harry was still mad at Ron for upsetting his sister and tensions were rising as they sat at the Gryffindor Table. "You know you really didn't have to interrogate her back there." Harry snarled to Ron, who was gazing longingly into his meatloaf.

"What did you expect me to say? Oh Selena, you fancy our arch rival and the culprit behind these attacks. That's perfectly fine with us. Harry, if your sister goes to the Dark Side, don't come crying to me."

Harry would have smacked Ron across the face, but Hermione beat him to it. "How dare you?" she snapped. "Selena's the complete opposite of a Dark Witch. She's the kindest girl in the whole school."

"Yet she goes making friends with the wrong sort."

"Ron, I don't like that she fancies Malfoy either, but what can we do. We can't control who she befriends and who she fancies." said Harry.

Ron looked up from his meatloaf, appalled. "Whose side are you on?"

"I'm not on anyone's side! Honestly, I'm not surprised that Selena's gone and done this. That's just how Selena is. She sees the good in everyone, even when others can't see it. Hermione's right, if Selena goes to the Dark Side, I'll eat my socks in a sandwich."

"You do know her better than we do." said Hermione.

"Ever since we were five-years-old, Selena's had a heart for those who are poor, suffering and alone. There was one incident when we were six, we were at the playground near our house with the Dursleys and there was a homeless man sitting on the corner. Uncle Vernon called him a 'dirty bum' and Aunt Petunia ignored him. But Selena… she gave away her sandwich and water bottle to him, wishing him good luck."

Hermione clasped a hand to her heart. "That's so sweet."

Ron now felt extremely awkward. "But… Malfoy's bad news."

"Ron, give it time. We can't do anything now, and we don't even know for sure if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin until we use the potion. We don't even know for sure if Selena does have a crush on Malfoy, she never admitted it. I think we should go find her, so we can apologise." said Harry getting up from the table, but Hermione stopped him.

"You don't have to go find her."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because she's coming right now." Hermione said, pointing.

Harry and Ron turned to where Hermione was pointing and saw Selena walking towards them awkwardly. She was silent as she took a seat next to Harry, before she looked over at him and said, "Hey,"

"Selena, where were you after you left the bathroom?" Harry asked. "I was worried about you."

"I needed some advice on what to do. Grown up advice, and I got it."

"Are you feeling better now?" Harry asked, putting an arm around her.

"A little, I was told I should put these feelings behind me, until I'm older." said Selena.

"That's great. Now I think Ron has something he would like to say to you, right, Ronald?" said Hermione, turning to Ron. Ron shrank back into his chair and muttered, "Sorry," under his breath.

"What was that?" Hermione said, urging Ron to speak up.

"Sorry," he said a little more clearly.

"Ron…"

"I'm sorry okay! I said I was sorry."

"What are you sorry for?"

Ron grumbled and half-snapped. "I'm sorry for over reacting back there, I shouldn't have been so crude towards your friendship with Mal – I'm mean, _Draco_." It sounded to Harry like it was painful for him to say.

"We're all sorry for what we did." said Hermione. "We shouldn't have been so harsh."

"I know, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have spoken to Draco without your opinion first." whispered Selena.

"Did Malfoy suspect anything when you did?" said Ron.

Selena shook her head. "No, without doubt I'm not the first person who has been asking that question. I don't think he suspects anything, but I still won't use the Polyjuice Potion." she said in a hushed tone.

Harry turned Selena's head toward his. "Selena, that's your choice entirely."


	12. The Duelling Club

A week later, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena were walking across the entrance hall when they saw small knot of people gathered around the notice board, reading a piece of parchment that had just been pinned up. Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas beckoned them over, looking excited.

"They're starting a Dueling Club!" said Seamus. "First meeting tonight! I wouldn't mind duelling lessons; they might come in handy one of these days…"

"What, you reckon Slytherin's monster can duel?" said Ron, but he, too, read the sign with interest.

"Could be useful," he said to Harry, Hermione and Selena as they went into dinner. "Shall we go?"

Harry, Hermione and Selena were all for it, so at eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the Great Hall. The long dining tables had vanished, and a golden stage had appeared along one wall, lit by thousands of candles floating overhead. The ceiling was velvety black once more and most of the school seemed to be packed beneath it, all carrying their wands and looking excited.

"I wonder who'll be teaching us?" said Hermione as they edged into the chattering crowd. "Evan said that Flitwick was a duelling champion when he was young – maybe it'll be him."

"Who's care who it is, as long as it's not –" the twins began, but they ended on a pair of groans: Gilderoy Lockhart was walking onto the stage, resplendent in robes of deep plum and accompanied by none other than Snape, wearing his usual black.

Lockhart waved an arm for silence and called "Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!"

"Now, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club, to train you all in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions – for full details, see my published works.

Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape," said Lockhart flashing a wide smile. "He tells me he knows a tiny little bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration before we begin. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry – you'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him, never fear!"

"Wouldn't it be good if they finished each other off?" Ron muttered in Harry's ear.

Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry and Selena wondered why Lockhart was still smiling; if Snape had been looking at them like that they'd have been running as fast as they could in the opposite direction.

Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least, Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.

"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position," Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his teeth.

"One – two – three –"

Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!" There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid down it to sprawl on the floor.

Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins cheered. Hermione was dancing on tiptoes. "Do you think he's alright?" she squealed through her fingers.

"Who cares?" said Harry, Ron and Selena together.

Lockhart was getting unsteadily to his feet. His hat had fallen off and his wavy air was standing on end.

"Well, there you have it!" he said, tottering back into the platform. "That was a Disarming Charm – as you see, I've lost my wand – ah, thank you, Miss. Brown – yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy – however, I felt would be instructive to let them see…"

Snape was looking murderous. Possibly Lockhart had noticed, because he said, "Enough demonstrating! I'm going to come amoungst you now and put you all into pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me –"

They moved through the crowd, matching up partners. Lockhart teamed Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, but Snape reached Harry, Ron, Hermione and Selena first. "Time to split up the dream team, I think," he sneered.

"Weasley, you can partner Finnigan. Potter –"

Harry and Selena automatically moved toward each other.

"I don't think so," said Snape coldly. "Mr. Malfoy, come over here. Let's see what you make of the famous Mr. Potter. Miss Potter, you can partner with Miss Parkinson. As for you, Miss Granger – you can partner Miss Bulstrode."

Malfoy strutted over, smirking. Behind him walked two Slytherin girls who reminded Harry of a picture he'd seen in Holidays with Hags. Pansy was hard-faced framed with dark, inky black hair. Millicent Bulstrode was large and square, and her heavy jaw jutted aggressively. Hermione gave her a weak smile that she did not return.

"Face your partners!" called Lockhart, back on the platform. "And bow!"

Selena locked eyes with Pansy Parkinson. "Best of luck, Pansy."

"How like a Gryffindor, Selena." Pansy smirked, "Let's hope your brother and Draco don't tear each other to pieces."

"Oh god," Selena uttered, jolting her head around she felt a crick in her head. Sure enough, Pansy was right.

Harry and Draco had barely inclined their heads, not taking their eyes off each other.

"Those two are going to kill each other." Selena whispered, biting her lip. Looking into Harry's mind, she saw that he was indeed still angry with Draco, even disgusted from the idea of Selena being with Draco. Selena sighed mournfully.

Pansy walked over and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, hello, Selena? I thought we were going to duel?" she asked annoyed.

Selena turned back around. "Right, sorry Pansy."

"Wands at the ready!" shouted Lockhart. "When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponents – only to disarm them – we don't want any accidents – one… two… three –"

Harry swung his wand high, but Draco had already started on 'two': His spell hit Harry so hard he felt as though he'd been hit over the head with a saucepan. He stumbled, but everything still seemed to be working, and wasting no more time, Harry pointed his wand straight at Draco and shouted, "Rictusempra!"

A jet of silver light hit Malfoy in the stomach and he doubled over, wheezing.

Selena had taken her eyes off Pansy for two seconds when she heard the spell and Pansy knocked her over with an Expelliarmus charm and she flew back into the wall. Pansy gave a shrieking cry seeing what she had done. "Selena! Are you okay?"

Selena groaned, standing up on shaking feet. "I'll… I'll be fine," she wheezed, clutching her ribs. "I just wasn't ready."

They didn't get a chance to resume their duel when Lockhart shouted in alarm over the heads of the battling crowd to Harry and Draco. "I said disarm only!"

Selena and Pansy scurried forward, ducking under the other duelling pairs to see better. Draco was on his knees; Harry had hit him with a Tickling Charm, and he could barely move for laughing. Harry hung back, with a vague feeling it would be unsporting to bewitch Malfoy while he was on the floor and the fact that he had just apologised to Selena, but this was a mistake; gasping for breath, Draco pointed his wand at Harry's knees, choked, "Tarantallegra!" and the next second Harry's legs began to jerk around out of his control in a kind of quickstep.

"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge. "Finite Incantatem!" he shouted; Harry's feet stopped dancing, Draco stopped laughing, and they were able to look up.

A haze of greenish smoke was hovering over the scene. Both Neville and Justin were lying on the floor, panting; Ron was holding up and ashen faced Seamus, apologizing for whatever his broken wand had done; but Hermione and Millicent Bulstrode were still moving; Millicent had Hermione in a headlock and Hermione was whimpering in pain; both their wands lay forgotten on the floor. Selena marched forward and pulled Millicent off using her telekinesis, careful not to push her powers too far this time.

"Dear, dear," said Lockhart, skittering through the crowd, looking at the aftermath of the duels. "Up you go, Macmillian… Careful there, Miss Fawcett… Pinch it hard, it'll stop bleeding in a second, Boot…"

"I think I'd better teach you how to block unfriendly spells," said Lockhart, standing flustered in the midst of the hall.

"Oh, that's _great_ idea Professor, why didn't you think of it sooner?" Asha cried out sarcastically, supporting a winded Vanessa on her shoulder. Lockhart ignored her and glanced at Snape, whose black eyes glinted, and looked quickly away. "Let's have a volunteer pair – Potter and Weasley, how about you –"

"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large and malevolent bat. "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be spending what's left of Potter up to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Ron's face flushed pink. "Might I suggest someone from my own house, Malfoy perhaps?" said Snape with twisted smile.

"Excellent idea!" said Lockhart, gesturing to Harry and Malfoy into the middle of the hall as the crowd backed away to give them room. Selena gulped, having already seen what those two were like in a duel.

"Now, Harry," said Lockhart. "When Draco points his wand at you, you do this."

He raised his own wand, attempting a complicated sort of wiggling action, and dropped it. Snape smirked as Lockhart quickly picked it up, saying, "Whoops – my wand is a little overexcited –"

Snape moved closer to Malfoy, bent down, and whispered something in his ear. Malfoy smirked, too. Harry looked up nervously at Lockhart and said, "Professor, could you show me that blocking thing again?"

"Scared Potter?" muttered Malfoy, so that Lockhart couldn't hear him.

"You wish," said Harry out of the corner of his mouth.

Lockhart cuffed Harry merrily on the shoulder. "Just do what I did, Harry!"

"What, drop my wand?"

But Lockhart wasn't listening.

"Three – two – one – go!" he shouted.

Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, "Serpensortia!"

The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long black snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them, and raised itself, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd back swiftly away, clearing the floor.

Selena bit her lip nervously as the snake hissed menacingly. "Don't move, Potter," said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it…"

"Allow me!" shouted Lockhart. He brandished his wand at the snake and there was a loud bang; the snake, instead of vanishing, flew ten feet into the air and fell back to the floor with a loud smack. Enraged, hissing furiously, it slithered straight toward Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself again, fangs exposed, poised to strike.

Harry wasn't sure what made him do it. He wasn't even aware of deciding to do it. All he knew was that his legs were carrying him forward as though he was on casters and that he spoke sharply and stupidly to the snake, "Leave him alone!" The snake continued hissing in anger, ready to attack Justin. Selena wasn't sure what she was thinking, but something made her leap out from the crowd – join Harry and shout, "You heard him, back off."

"Leave him alone!" the twins shouted together with more confidence. And miraculously – inexplicably – the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a thick, black garden hose, its eyes now on the twins. The twins felt the fear drain out of them. They knew the snake wouldn't attack anyone now, though how they knew it, they wouldn't be able to explain.

They looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved, or puzzled, or even grateful – but certainly not angry and scared.

"What do you two think you're playing at?" he shouted, and before Harry and Selena could say anything, Justin had turned and stormed out of the hall.

Snape stepped forward, waved his wand, and the snake vanished in a small puff of black smoke. Snape, too, was looking at Harry and Selena in an unexpected way: It was a shrewd and calculating look, and the twins didn't like it. Selena looked over at Draco, who stared back at her, mouth hung open with a puzzled expression on his face. The twins were also dimly aware of an ominous muttering all around them. Then they felt a tugging on the backs of their robes.

"Come on," said Ron's voice in his ear. "Both of you move – come on –"

Ron steered them both out of the hall, Hermione, Adeline, Vanessa, Odessa, Evan and Asha hurrying alongside them. As they went through the doors, the people on either side drew away as though they were frightened of catching something. Neither Harry or Selena had any clue what was going on, and their friends didn't explain anything until they had dragged them all the way into an empty classroom. Then Ron and Hermione pushed Harry and Selena into chairs and Ron said, "You two are Parselmouths. Why didn't you tell us?"

"We're what?" said the twins.

"Parselmouths!" said Ron again.

"You two can talk to snakes!" said Asha in a frightened voice.

"We know," said Harry. "I mean, that's only the second time we've ever done it. We accidentally set a boa constrictor on our cousin Dudley in the zoo once – long story, don't ask – but it was telling us it had never seen Brazil and we sort of set it free without meaning to that was before we knew we were a witch and wizard –"

"A boa constrictor told you two it had never seen Brazil?" Ron repeated faintly.

"It was one time Ron," said Selena. "But so what, I bet loads of people here can do it."

"No, they can't," said Vanessa. "It's not a very common gift. Harry, Selena, this is bad."

"What's bad?" said Harry, starting to feel quite angry. "What's wrong with everyone?"

Selena added quickly. "If we hadn't told that snake to not attack Justin –"

"Oh, that's what you said to it?" gasped Evan.

"What're you talking about Evan? You were there – all of you were – you heard us –"

" _We_ heard you speaking Parseltongue," said Odessa. "Snake language. You two could have been saying anything – no wonder Justin panicked, it sounded like Harry was egging the snake on or something and then it looked like you were stepping in to assist him, Selena –"

"I was stepping in to _save_ Justin, not kill him!" Selena hissed angrily.

"It was still creepy, you know –" Adeline shuddered. "You guys spoke a different language."

Harry and Selena gaped at them.

"We spoke a different language? But – we didn't realize – how can we speak a language without knowing we can speak it?"

Ron shook his head. The girls just shrugged. They were all looking as though someone had just died. Harry and Selena couldn't see what was so terrible.

"If one of you would care to explain what's so wrong about stopping a dirty great snake from biting Justin's head off?" Harry said. "We both love to hear it."

"What does it matter how we did it as long as Justin doesn't have to join the Headless Hunt?" added Selena.

"It matters," said Hermione, speaking at last in a hushed voice, "because being able to talk to snakes was what Salazar Slytherin was famous for. That's why the symbol of Slytherin House is a serpent."

The twins' mouths fell open.

"Exactly," said Ron. "And now the whole school's going to think you two are his great great great great grandchildren or something –"

"But we're not," said Harry and Selena, with a panic they couldn't quite explain. "We can't be."

"You'll both find that hard to prove," said Hermione. "He lived a thousand years ago; for all we know, you two could be."

The twins lay awake for hours that night. Through the gaps in the curtains around their four-posters they watched snow starting to drift past their dormitory's windows and wondered…

Could they really be descendants of Salazar Slytherin? They didn't know anything about their father's family, after all. The Dursleys had always forbidden questions about their wizarding relatives.

" _Selena, this is mental. We can't be Slytherin's descendants, we just can't be!"_

 _"We're both in Gryffindor, if we had Slytherin blood, we wouldn't have been put into Gryffindor."_

 _"But the Sorting Hat wanted to put us into Slytherin, remember?"_

 _"It also wanted to put me in Hufflepuff, let's just talk with Justin in Herbology tomorrow."_

Harry turned over. Selena was right. Tomorrow, they would go down to Herbology and explain to Justin they'd been calling the snake off, not egging it on, which (he thought angrily, pummelling his pillow) any fool should have realized.

* * *

By the next morning, however, the snow that had begun in the night had turned into a blizzard so thick that the last Herbology lesson of the term was cancelled: Professor Sprout wanted to fit socks and scarves on the Mandrakes, a tricky operation she would entrust to no one else, now that it was so important for the Mandrakes to grow quickly and revive Mrs. Norris and Colin Creevey.

Ah yes, Colin Creevey.

If Selena wasn't going to be able to talk to Justin, then she was going to make use of her spare time to sneak off down to the Hospital Wing to visit Colin Creevey. She had written a long, meaningful apology letter and gently tucked in her pocket. The only problem she had left was getting to the hospital wing without looking suspicious. Luckily, Selena had planned this out. Once she was sure the second-year boys had left their dormitory, she slipped inside and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak from under Harry's bed and smuggling it in the front of her robes. She cleared the staircase in three huge strides, startling Harry who was sitting by the common room fire. "Where are you going?" he called to her, just as the portrait hole opened up. He didn't notice the bulge in the front of Selena's robes.

Selena briefly turned her head. "The hospital wing, I need to see Colin."

"Why?"

"I never got the chance to apologise." she uttered, running from the common room before Harry could say anything else.

Once Selena was sure that the corridor was empty, she threw the cloak over her – covered her body completely and ran in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight when Selena slipped inside the large room. She tip-toed slowly over to Colin's bed, which was still hidden behind the curtain. Once she was beside Colin's bed, she removed the cloak and hung her head sadly.

"Hello Colin," she said in a hushed whisper. She wasn't sure if he could hear her, but it would feel so much lighter if she spoke to him herself. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, I hear you were on your way to visit me and Harry, but you ended up Petrified. Colin, I don't know if you can hear me or not, but… if you can, know that I'm sorry for what I said to you at the Quidditch game. I never should have lost my temper at you, especially when you were so excited to meet me and Harry.

"The truth is, while we may be famous throughout the wizarding world, we're still children just trying to focus on our studies. We don't even remember the night our parents died, which again is something that we don't want to be famous for. Who would want to be famous for something that left them orphaned. Anyway, I'm sorry, so very sorry for what I said to you. Encase you can't hear me, I've written you a letter, so you know this was all real," Selena reached into her pocket and laid the letter on the table next to the bed.

"You didn't deserve this Colin," she whispered, tenderly stroking his hand, still frozen in the position of one holding a camera. Selena covered herself with the cloak and swiftly left the quiet, empty Hospital Wing.

Harry fretted about Justin next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room, while Ron and Hermione used the time off to play a game of wizard chess. The portrait hole opened, and Selena appeared in the centre of the room as she removed the invisibility cloak. Luckily, the common room was empty save for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry gaped at Selena in shock. "How did you –?" he started.

Selena rolled her eyes, tossing him the cloak. "You really need to hide this better, Harry."

"Why did you use our cloak?" Harry asked angrily stuffing the cloak under a cushion.

"How else was I going to get to the Hospital Wing without looking suspicious?"

"Right… good point," Harry said, falling back into the armchair. "You didn't happen to see Justin on your way down, did you?"

Selena shook her head.

"For heaven's sake, Harry," Hermione said, exasperated, as one of Ron's bishops wrestled her knight off his horse and dragged him off the board. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you. Both of you can go."

So, Harry got up and he and Selena left through the portrait hole, wondering where Justin might be.

The castle was darker than it usually was in daytime because of the thick, swirling grey snow at every window. Shivering, Harry and Selena walked past classrooms where lessons were taking place, catching snatches of what was happening within. Professor McGonagall was shouting at someone who, by the sound of it, had turned his friend into a badger. Resisting the urge to take a look, Harry and Selena walked on by, thinking that Justin might be using his free time to catch up on some work, and deciding to check the library first.

A group of the Hufflepuffs who should have been in Herbology were indeed sitting at the back of the library, but they weren't focused on working. Between the long lines of high bookshelves, Harry and Selena could see that their heads were close together and they were having what looked like an absorbing conversation. They couldn't see whether Justin was among them, but felt a breathe of relief when they saw Selena's friend, Asha standing with them, wearing a frown. The twins were walking toward them when something of what they were saying met their ears, and they paused to listen, hidden in the Invisibility Section.

"So anyway," a stout boy was saying, "I told Justin to hide up in our dormitory. I mean to say, if the Potter's have marked him down as their next victim, it's best if he keeps a low profile for a while. Of course, Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to the Potter's he was Muggle-born. Justin actually told them he'd been down for Eton. That's not the kind of thing you bandy about with Slytherin's heir on the loose, is it?"

"You definitely think it is the Potters, then, Ernie?" said a girl with blonde pigtails anxiously.

"Hannah," said the stout boy solemnly, "they're Parselmouths. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark Wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one who could talk to snakes? They called Slytherin himself Serpent-tongue."

There was some heavy murmuring at this, and Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Ernie went on, "Remember what was written on the wall? Enemies of the Heir, Beware. What if it's actually _Heirs._ Potter and his sister had some sort of run in with Filch. Next thing we know, Filch's cat's been attacked. That first year, Creevey, annoyed Selena at the Quidditch match, taking pictures of her brother while he was lying in the mud. Next thing we know – Creevey's been attacked."

"They always seem so nice, though," said Hannah uncertainly, "and, well, they're the ones who made You-Know-Who disappear. They can't be all bad, can they? Selena's the kindest girl in school."

"No one knows how they survived that attack by You-Know-Who. I mean to say, they were only babies when it happened. They should have been blasted into smithereens. Only a really powerful Dark witch and wizard could have survived a curse like that." He dropped his voice until it was barely more than a whisper, and said, "That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted them dead in the first place. He didn't want another Dark Lord _and_ Lady competing with him. We already know that Selena has telekinesis –"

Asha cut him off. "Ernie, telekinesis is of Muggle invention. It's not magic, if it was the Ministry would know because of the Trace! If Selena really is a descendant of Slytherin, why did she inherit a Muggle ability?"

"Her mother was Muggle-born though, Selena could have inherited it from her mother's side, and she's always mixing with that Slytherin boy Malfoy. I wonder what other powers the Potters could be hiding?"

Harry and Selena couldn't take anymore. Clearing their throats loudly, they stepped out from behind the bookshelves. If they hadn't been so angry, they would have found the sight that greeted them funny: Every one of the Hufflepuffs except Asha looked as though they had been Petrified by the sight of them, and the colour was draining out of Ernie's face.

Selena glared at Ernie with her arms folded. "Care to explain why you're talking about us from behind our backs?"

"What are you two doing here?" said Ernie.

"We are looking for Justin Finch-Fletchley." said Harry.

Ernie's worst fear had been confirmed, as were the rest of the Hufflepuffs – with the exception of Asha, who seemed to be giving Ernie a dangerous look.

"What do you two want with him?" said Ernie in a quavering voice.

"We wanted to tell him what really happened with that snake at the Dueling Club," said Harry.

Ernie bit his white lips and then, taking a deep breath, said, "We were all there. We saw what happened."

"Then you would have noticed that after we spoke to it, the snake backed off?" said Selena.

"All I saw," said Ernie stubbornly, though he was trembling as he spoke, "was you two speaking Parseltongue and chasing the snake toward Justin."

"We didn't chase it at him!" Harry said, his voice shaking with anger.

"It didn't even touch him!" Selena snapped.

"It was a very near miss," said Ernie. "And in case you're getting any ideas," he added hastily, "I might tell you that you two can trace my family back through nine generations of witches and warlocks and my blood's as pure as anyone's, so –"

"We couldn't care less what sort of blood you've got!" said the twins fiercely.

"Why would Selena and I want to attack Muggle-borns?" Harry said angrily.

"I heard you two hate those Muggles you live with," said Ernie swiftly.

"Macmillian, it's not possible to live with the Dursleys and love it. Until you've spent ten years of your life being starved, beaten and forced to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs, you're not allowed to complain about it!" Selena hissed. "And if it's any of your business at all, the reason Harry and I survived You-Know-Who's attack was because our mother died to save us, yes – our common Muggle-born mother sacrificed, herself to save our lives and that left a mark in our bodies that evil could not touch, that's why we survived. Don't believe me, go ask Dumbledore, he told us himself."

The twins turned on their heels and stormed out of the library, earning themselves a reproving glare from Madam Pince, who was polishing the gilded cover of a large spellbook.

Harry and Selena blundered up the corridor, barely noticing where they were going, they were in such a fury. The result was that they walked into something very large and solid, which knocked them backward onto the floor.

"Oh, hello, Hagrid," Harry said, looking up.

"We didn't see you there," said Selena.

Hagrid's face was entirely hidden by a woolly, snow covered balaclava, but it couldn't possibly by anyone else, as he filled most of the corridor in his moleskin overcoat. A dead rooster was hanging from one of his massive, gloved hands.

"All righ', Harry, Selena?" he said, pulling up the balaclava so he could speak. "Why aren't yeh two in class?"

"Got cancelled," said Harry, helping Selena up. "What're you doing in here?"

Hagrid held up the limp rooster.

"Second one killed this term," he explained. "It's either foxes or a Blood Suckin Bugbear, an' I need the Headmaster's permission ter put a charm around the hen coop."

He peered more closely at Harry and Selena from under his thick, snow flecked eyebrows.

"Yeh sure you two are all righ'? Yeh both look all hot an' bothered –"

Harry and Selena couldn't bring themselves to repeat what Ernie had been saying about them.

"It's nothing," Harry said. "We'd better get going, Hagrid, it's Transfiguration next and we've got to pick up our books." They walked off, their minds still full of what Ernie had said about them.

"Justin's been waiting for something like this to happen ever since he let slip to the Potter's he was Muggle-born…"

Harry and Selena stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane. They were halfway down the passage when Harry tripped headlong over something lying on the floor.

Selena gave a shrieking gasp, covering her mouth in horror. Harry turned to squint at what he'd tripped over and his stomach dissolved.

Justin Finch-Fletchley was lying on the floor, rigid and cold, a look of shock frozen on his face, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. And that wasn't all. Next to him was another figure, the strangest sight the twins had ever seen.

It was Nearly Headless Nick, no longer pearly white and transparent, but black and smoky, floating immobile and horizontal, six inches off the floor. His head was half off and his face wore the same expression of shock identical to Justin's.

Selena helped Harry to his feet, her breathing fast and shallow, her heart doing a kind of drum roll against her ribs. "Harry, we need to go now!" she said quickly.

"Good idea," Harry wheezed from the panic. They looked wildly up and down the deserted corridor and saw a line of spiders scuttling as fast as they could away from the bodies. The only sounds were the muffled voices of teachers from the classes on either side.

They had to run, and no one would ever know they had been there. But they couldn't just leave them lying there… They had to get help… Would anyone believe they hadn't anything to do with this?

As they stood there, panicking, a door right next to them opened with a bang. Peeves the Poltergeist came shooting out.

"Why, it's the potty wee Potter's!" cackled Peeves, knocking Harry's glasses askew as he bounced past him. "What are you Potter's up to? Why are you Potter's lurking –"

Peeves stopped, halfway through a mid-air somersault. Upside down, he spotted Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. He flipped the right way up, filling his lungs and, before the twins could stop them, screamed,

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAACK!"

Crash – crash – crash – door after door flew open along the corridor and people flooded out. For several long minutes, there was a scene of such confusion that Justin was danger of being squashed and people kept standing in Nearly Headless Nick. Harry and Selena found themselves pinned against the wall as the teachers shouted for quiet. Professor McGonagall came running, followed by her own class, one of whom still had black and white striped hair. She used her wand to set off a loud bang, which restored silence, and ordered everyone back into their classes. No sooner had the scene cleared somewhat than Ernie the Hufflepuff arrived, panting, on the scene.

"Caught in the act!" Ernie yelled, his face stark white, pointing his finger dramatically at the twins.

"That will do, Macmillian!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.

Peeves was bobbing overhead, now grinning wickedly, surveying the scene; Peeves always loved chaos. As the teachers bent over Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, examining them, Peeves broke into song:

"Oh, Potters, you rotters, oh, what have you two done, you're killing off students, you think it's good fun –"

"That's enough, Peeves!" barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry and Selena.

Justin was carried up to the Hospital Wing by Professor Flitwick and Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department, but nobody seemed to know what to do for Nearly Headless Nick. In the end, Professor McGonagall conjured a large fan out of thin air, which she gave to Ernie with instruction to waft Nearly Headless Nick up the stairs. This Ernie did, fanning Nick along like a silent black hoverboard. This left Harry, Selena and Professor McGonagall alone together.

"This way, Potters," she said.

"Professor," said Harry at once, "I swear we didn't –"

"This is out of my hands, Potter," said Professor McGonagall curtly.

Selena cried. "But we –"

"Selena, that will be enough. Potters, follow me…"

They marched in silence around a corner and she stopped before a large and extremely ugly stone gargoyle.

"Sherbet Lemon!" Professor McGonagall said. This was evidently a password, because the gargoyle sprang suddenly to life and hopped aside as the wall behind him spilt in two. Even full of dread for what was coming, Harry and Selena couldn't fail to be amazed. Behind the wall was a spiral staircase that was moving smoothly upward, like an escalator. As they and Professor McGonagall stepped onto it, Harry and Selena heard the wall thud closed behind them. They rose upward in circles, higher and higher, until at last, slightly dizzy, Harry and Selena saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

They knew now where they were being taken. This must be where Dumbledore lived.


	13. The Polyjuice Potion

They stepped off the stone staircase at the top, and Professor McGonagall rapped on the door. It opened silently, and they entered. Professor McGonagall told Harry and Selena to wait and left them there, alone.

Harry and Selena looked around. One thing was certain; of all the teachers' offices they had visited so far this year. Dumbledore's was by far the most interesting. If they hadn't been scared out of their wits that they were about to be thrown out of school, he would have been very pleased to have a chance to look around it.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tattered wizard's hat – the Sorting Hat.

Harry and Selena looked at each other. They cast a wary eye around the sleeping witches and wizards on the walls. Surely it couldn't hurt if they tried it on again? Just to see… just to make sure it had put them in the right House –

Harry walked quietly around the desk, lifted the hat from its shelf, looking at Selena for approval and she nodded, "You go first," – and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much too large and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done the last time he'd put it on. Harry stared at the black inside of the hat, waiting. Then a small voice said in his ear, "Bee in your bonnet, Harry Potter?"

"Er, yes," Harry muttered. "Er – sorry to both you – Selena and I wanted to ask –"

"You've been wondering whether I put you and your sister in the right House," said the hat smartly. "Yes… you two were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said before" – Harry's heart leapt – "you would have done well in Slytherin –"

Harry's stomach plummeted. He grabbed the point of the hat and pulled it off, handing it to a startled Selena and walked off to stare into the corner, clutching his stomach. The hat hung limply in Selena's hand, grubby and faded. Not sure what else to do, Selena pulled the hat on her head. Immediately she was greeted by a tiny voice in her ear. "Great minds think alike do you agree, Selena Potter?"

"Y-yes… I'm assuming you still believe I would have done well in Slytherin too?"

The hat chuckled. "Clever girl, yes… you were most unusual, you held all the qualities for all Houses in your head. But your strengths lie with your ability to love someone who others label a monster" – Selena's heart gave a great leap – "I still stand by what I said about you making Hufflepuff proud. But I still stand by what a said about being in Slytherin" – Selena's stomach sank – "you have a heart of gold, you would've broken Slytherins stereotype had you been in that house. Both you and Harry would've done well in Slytherin –"

Selena removed the hat quickly and placed it on the shelf, feeling sick. "You're wrong," she said aloud to the still and silent hat. It didn't move. Harry and Selena backed away, watching it. Then a strange, gagging noise behind them made them wheel around.

They weren't alone after all. Standing on a golden perch behind the door was a decrepit looking bird that resembled a half-plucked turkey. Harry and Selena stared at it and the bird looked balefully back, making its gagging noise again. Harry and Selena both thought it looked very ill. Its eyes were dull and, even as Harry and Selena watched, a couple more feather fell out of its tail.

Harry was just thinking that all he and Selena needed was for Dumbledore's pet bird to die while they were alone in the office with it, when the bird burst into flames.

Harry yelled in shock, Selena screamed like a banshee and they both backed away into the desk. They looked feverishly around in case there was a glass of water somewhere but couldn't see one; the bird, meanwhile, had become a fireball; it gave one loud shriek and the next second there was nothing but a smouldering pile of ash on the floor.

The office door opened. Dumbledore came in, looking very somber.

"Professor," the twins gasped. "Your bird – we couldn't do anything – he just caught fire –"

To the twins astonishment, Dumbledore smiled.

"About time, too," he said. "He's been looking dreadful for days; I've been telling him to get a move on." He chuckled at the stunned looks on Harry and Selena's faces.

"Fawkes is a phoenix, Harry and Selena. They burst into flame when it is time for them to die and then they are, reborn from the ashes. Watch him…"

Harry and Selena looked down in time to see a tiny, wrinkled, newborn bird poke it's head out of the ashes. It was quite as ugly as the old one.

"It's a shame you two had to see him on a Burning Day," said Dumbledore, seating himself behind his desk. "He's really very handsome most of the time, wonderful red and gold plumage. Fascinating creatures, phoenixes. They can carry immensely heavy loads, their tears have healing powers, and they make highly faithful pets."

In the shock of Fawkes catching fire, Harry and Selena had forgotten what they were there for, but it all came back to them as Dumbledore settled himself in the high chair behind the desk and fixed Harry and Selena with his penetrating, light blue stare.

Before Dumbledore could speak another word, however, the door of the office flew open with an almighty bang and Hagrid burst in, a wild look in his eyes, his balaclava perched on top of his shaggy back head and the dead rooster still swinging from his hand.

"It wasn' Harry and Selena, Professor Dumbledore!" said Hagrid urgently. "I was talkin' ter them seconds before that kid was found, they never had time, sir –"

Dumbledore tried to say something, But Hagrid went ranting on, waving the rooster around in his agitation, sending feathers everywhere.

"It can't've bin em, I'll swear it in front o' the Ministry o' Magic if I have to –"

"Hagrid, I –"

" – yeh've got the wrong boy an' girl, sir, I know Harry and Selena never –"

"Hagrid!" said Dumbledore loudly. "I do not think that Harry and Selena attacked those people."

"Oh," said Hagrid, the rooster falling limply at his side. "Right. I'll wait outside then, Headmaster." And he stomped out looking embarrassed.

"You don't think it was us, Professor?" Harry repeated hopefully with Selena giving Dumbledore a puzzled look. Dumbledore brushed rooster feathers off his desk.

"No, Harry, I don't think you and your sister did anything," said Dumbledore, though his face was somber again. "But I still want to talk to you."

Harry and Selena waited nervously while Dumbledore considered him, the tips of his long fingers together.

"I must ask you both, Harry and Selena, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."

Harry and Selena didn't know what to say. Harry thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudblood!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he and Selena had heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the wizarding world." He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him and Selena, and his growing dread that they were somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin.

"No," said Harry. "There isn't anything, Professor…"

Selena shook her head, having read everything that was going through Harry's head and knew it was better to leave this alone. "No, Professor, we have nothing to tell you."

The double attack on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick turned what hither to been nervousness into real panic. Curiously, it was Nearly Headless Nick's fate that seemed to worry people most. What could possibly do that to a ghost? People asked each other; what terrible power could harm someone who was already dead? There was almost a stampede to book seats on the Hogwarts Express so that students could go home for Christmas.

"At this rate, we'll be the only ones left," Ron told Harry, Hermione and Selena. "Us, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. What a jolly holiday it's going to be."

Crabbe and Goyle, who always did whatever Malfoy did, had signed up to stay over the holidays, too. But Harry and Selena were glad that most people were leaving. They were both tired of people skirting around them in the corridors, as though one of them was about to sprout fangs or spit poison; tired of all the muttering, pointing, and hissing as they passed.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry and Selena down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heirs of Slytherin, seriously evil witch and wizard coming through…"

Percy was deeply disapproving if this behaviour.

"It's not a laughing matter," he said coldly.

"Oh, get out of the way, Percy," said Fred. "Harry and Selena are in a hurry."

"Yeah, they're off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with their fanged servant," said George, chortling.

Ginny didn't find it amusing either.

"Oh, don't," she wailed every time Fred asked either Harry or Selena loudly who they were planning to attack next, or when George pretended to ward Harry and Selena off with a large clove of garlic when they met.

Harry and Selena didn't mind; it made them feel better that Fred and George, at least, thought the idea of them being Slytherin's heir and heiress was quite ludicrous. But their antics seemed to be aggravating Draco Malfoy, who looked increasingly sour each time he saw them at it.

"It's because he's bursting to say it's really him," said Ron knowingly. "You know how he hates anyone beating him at anything, and you two are getting all the credit for his dirty work."

"Or maybe, he's annoyed at everyone for thinking I'm one of Slytherins Heirs, because he's a good friend." said Selena, groaning with her forehead resting in the palm of her hand.

"What does it matter, we won't have long to wait," said Hermione in a satisfied tone. "the Polyjuice Potion's nearly ready. We'll be getting the truth out of him any day now."

Selena rolled her eyes. "You're wasting your time, you'll see."

At last the term ended, and a silence deep as the snow on the grounds descended on the castle. Harry and Selena found it peaceful, rather than gloomy, and enjoyed the fact that they, Hermione, and the Weasleys had the run of Gryffindor Tower, which meant they could play Exploding Snap loudly without bothering anyone, and practiced duelling in private. Fred, George, and Ginny had chosen to stay at school rather than visit Bill in Egypt with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Percy, who disapproved of what he termed their childish behaviour, didn't spend much time in the Gryffindor common room. He had already told them pompously that he was only staying over Christmas because it was his duty as a prefect to support the teachers during this troubled time.

Christmas morning dawned, cold and white. Harry and Ron, the only ones left in their dormitory, were woken very early by Hermione and Selena, who burst in, fully dressed and carrying presents for them both. Since all of Selena's roommates had gone home, Selena had joined Hermione in her dorm for the holidays, so they would feel less lonely.

"Wake up," she said loudly, pulling back the curtains at the window.

"Hermione, Selena – you're not supposed to be in here –" said Ron, shielding his eyes against the light.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Selena, throwing him his present.

"I've been up for nearly an hour, adding more lacewings to the potion. It's ready." said Hermione, excitedly.

Harry sat up, suddenly wide awake.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," said Hermione, shifting Scabbers the rat so that she could sit down on the end of Ron's four-poster. "If we're going to do it, I say it should be tonight."

At that moment, Hedwig and Elvis swooped into the room, each carrying a very small package in their beaks.

"Hello boy," said Selena happily, holding out her arm for Elvis to land on. "Finally come to your senses, have you Elvis.

Harry smiled happily as Hedwig landed on his bed. "Are you and Elvis speaking to us again?"

She nibbled his ear in an affectionate sort of way and Elvis nibbled at Selena's down hair and the girl blew in his face in a playful manner, both of which were far better presents than the ones that the twins' owls had brought them, which turned out to be from the Dursleys. They had sent Harry a toothpick and Selena a paperclip and a note to each telling them to find out whether they'd be able to stay at Hogwarts for the summer holidays, too. Selena scoffed as she read the letter. "If we could, we would never come home."

The rest of the twins Christmas presents were far more satisfactory. Hagrid had sent them two large tins of treacle fudge, which Harry and Selena decided to soften by the fire before eating; Ron had given Harry a book called Flying with the Cannons, a book of interesting facts about his favourite Quidditch Team, Hermione had bought the twins a luxury eagle feather quill each. Adeline had sent Selena a mosaic picture frame, Odessa sent her a beautiful locket with a picture of her and Selena smiling and waving with the words 'BFF's Forever' on the other half. Vanessa sent her another knitted scarf like last year, this one was emerald green. Evan sent a Selena a book titled Modern and Medieval, a book of how the lives of witches and wizards have changed since the Medieval Era. Asha had also sent Selena a book, this one about easy steps to disguising magic in Muggle presence. Selena swiftly opened up her present from Draco, with excitement and saw a beautiful, glossy violin with gold sides and neck. Harry and Selena ripped open their last present to find a new, hand knitted sweater each from Mrs. Weasley and a large plum cake. Harry read her card with a fresh surge of guilt, thinking about Mr. Weasley's car (which hadn't been seen since its crash with the Whomping Willow), and about of the rule breaking he, Selena and Ron were planning next.

No one, not even someone dreading taking Polyjuice Potion later, could fail to enjoy Christmas dinner at Hogwarts.

The Great Hall looked magnificent. Not only were there a dozen frost covered Christmas trees and thick streamers of holly and mistletoe crisscrossing the ceiling, but enchanted snow was falling, warm and dry, from the ceiling. Dumbledore led them in a few of his favourite carols, Hagrid booming more and more loudly with every goblet of eggnog he consumed. Percy, who hadn't noticed that Fred and bewitched his prefect badge so that it read "Pinhead," kept asking them all what they were sniggering at. Harry didn't even pay much mind to Draco Malfoy, who, to Harry's surprise, was making absolute comments about a new pair of gloves he had received, from the Slytherin table. Selena smiled to herself, she had made and sent Draco those gloves herself. She also had plans of her own for later, she thought as she patted her pocket.

Harry and Ron had barely finished their third helpings of Christmas pudding when Hermione ushered them out of the hall with Selena to finalize their plans for the evening.

"We still need a bit of the people you're changing into," said Hermione matter of factly, as though she were sending them to the supermarket for laundry detergent. "And obviously, it'll be best if you can get something of Crabbe's and Goyle's; they're two of Malfoys best friends, he'll tell them anything. And we also need to make sure the real Crabbe and Goyle can't burst in on us while we're interrogating him."

"How do you plan on doing that?" asked Selena.

"I've got everything all worked out," she went on smoothly, ignoring Harry and Ron's stupefied faces. She held up two plump chocolate cakes. "I've filled these with a simple Sleeping Draught. All you have to do is make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them."

Selena smirked devilishly. "Clever, Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum pig out on everything, they won't be able to resist."

Harry choked out a laugh. "Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum?"

Selena shrugged. "It suits them,"

Hermione had to cover her mouth to control the giggles rising in her throat. "It does,"

Ron just looked confused. "What's so funny?"

Selena went on to explain it briefly to him. "They're the nicknames I call Crabbe and Goyle. After two of the characters in Alice in Wonderland, that's a Muggle children's book. It's about a little girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in this strange, nonsense land known as Wonderland. I have the book up in my trunk, I'll lend it to you if you want?"

Ron shook his head. "No thanks, I don't want my Dad to get his hands on it, he'll never live it down."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Focus please – good – now, about Crabbe and Goyle, all you have to do is make sure they eat them. Once they're asleep, pull out a few of their hairs and hide them in a broom closet."

Harry, Ron and Selena looked incredulously at each other.

"Hermione, I don't think –"

"That could go seriously wrong –"

But Hermione had a steely glint in her eye not unlike the one Professor McGonagall sometimes had.

"The potion will be useless without Crabbe's and Goyle's hair," she said sternly. "You want to investigate Malfoy, don't you?"

"Oh, all right, all right," said Harry. "But what about you? Whose hair are you ripping out?"

"I've already got mine!" said Hermione brightly, pulling a tiny bottle out of her pocket and showing them the single hair inside it. "Remember Millicent Bulstrode wrestling with me at the Dueling Club? She left this on my robes when she was trying to strangle me! And she's gone home for Christmas – so, I'll just have to tell the Slytherins I've decided to come back."

Selena looked at the bottle skeptically, then looked up at Hermione. "Hermione, that hair could be anything. What if it's not Millicent's? That could blow everything to bits."

Ron stared at Selena in surprise. "Wow, you're finally admitting to something."

Selena rolled her eyes. "There's no point in fighting with you guys anymore, you're obviously going through with it whether I like it or not."

"Everything's going to be fine Selena, now – have you picked out something of the person you're changing into?"

Selena shook her head. "I have a better idea."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out something fluid and silvery. Harry's eyes widened. "How on earth did you manage to get our Invisibility Cloak into your pocket, I didn't even notice it was in there."

"It's a simple spell from that book that Asha gave me. I'll just follow along behind you guys with this over me and then I don't have to take the form of someone else." Selena said, stuffing the cloak back into her pocket.

Harry's eyes widened. Now that Selena had said it, that did seem to be a better plan than the Polyjuice Potion, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Fine, but it's your loss." Hermione said as she got up to go check on the Polyjuice Potion again.

Ron turned to Harry and Selena with a doom-laden expression.

"Have you two ever heard of a plan where so many things could go wrong?"

But to Harry's and Ron's utter amazement, stage one of the operation went just as smoothly as Hermione had said. They and Selena lurked in the deserted entrance hall after Christmas tea, waiting for Crabbe and Goyle who had remained alone at the Slytherin table, shovelling down fourth helpings of trifle. Selena rolled her eyes. She wasn't the least bit surprised to see them stuffing themselves silly.

She suspected that Crabbe and Goyle had at least four stomachs each with how much they ate all the time. "Typical, those two will eat anything that has sugar or fat in it. They're not as bad as Dudley, but I'd like to introduce them to a salad sometime." she whispered to Harry and Ron.

"We can do that later," said Harry quickly perching the chocolate cakes on the end of the banisters. "Quick, hide!" he hissed, dragging Selena with him and Ron behind a suit if armour next to the front door.

"How thick can you get?" Ron whispered ecstatically as Crabbe gleefully pointed out the cakes to Goyle and grabbed them. Grinning stupidly, they stuffed the cakes whole into their large mouths. For a moment, both of them chewed greedily, looks of triumph on their faces. Then, without the smallest change of expression, they both keeled over backward onto the floor.

By far the hardest part was hiding them in the closet across the hall, but Selena made the job easier with the help of telekinesis. Once they were safety stowed among the buckets and mops, Harry yanked out a couple of the bristles that covered Goyle's forehead and Ron pulled out several of Crabbe's hairs. They also stole their shoes, because their own were far too small for Crabbe and Goyle – size feet. Then, still stunned at what they had just done, they sprinted up to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

They could hardly see for the thick black smoke issuing from the stall in which Hermione was stirring the cauldron. Pulling their robes up over their faces, Harry, Ron and Selena knocked softly on the door.

"Hermione?"

They heard the scrape of the lock and Hermione emerged, shiny-faced and looking anxious. Behind her they heard the gloop gloop of the bubbling, glutinous potion. Three glass tumblers stood ready on the toilet seat.

"Did you get them?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

Harry showed her Goyle's hair.

"Good. And I sneaked these spare robes out of the laundry," said Hermione said, holding up a small sack. "You'll need bigger size once you're Crabbe and Goyle."

The four of them stared into the cauldron. Close up, the potion looked like thick, dark mud, bubbling sluggishly.

"I'm sure I've done everything right," said Hermione, nervously rereading the splotched page of Moste Potente Potions. "It looks like the book says it should… once we've drunk it, we'll have exactly an hour before we change back into ourselves."

"Now what?" Ron whispered.

"We separate it into three glasses and add the hairs, Selena's going under the cloak."

Hermione ladled large dollops of the potion into each of the glasses. Then, her hand trembling, she shook Millicent Bulstrode's hair out of its bottle into the first glass.

The potion hissed loudly like a boiling kettle and frothed madly. A second later, it had turned a sick sort of yellow.

"Urgh – essence of Millicent Bulstrode," said Ron, eyeing it with loathing. "Bet it tastes disgusting."

"Add yours, then," said Hermione.

Harry dropped Goyle's hair into the middle glass and Ron put Crabbe's into the last one. Both glasses hissed and frothed: Goyle's turned the khaki colour of a booger, Crabbe's a dark, murky brown.

"I feel so sorry for you guys," said Selena, her nose crinkled in disgust.

"Hang on," said Harry as Ron and Hermione reached for their glasses. "We'd better not all drink them in here… Once we turn into Crabbe and Goyle we won't fit. And Millicent Bulstrode's no pixie."

"Good thinking," said Ron, unlocking the door. "We'll take separate stalls."

"And I'll just wait outside." said Selena, exiting the stall and standing by the sinks.

Careful not to spill a drop of his Polyjuice Potion, Harry slipped into the middle stall.

"Ready?" he called.

"Ready," came Ron's and Hermione's voices.

"One – two – three –"

Pinching his nose, Harry drank the potion down in two large gulps. It tasted like overcooked cabbage.

Immediately, his insides started withering as though he'd just swallowed live snakes – doubled up, he wondered whether he was going to be sick – then a burning sensation spread rapidly from his stomach to the very ends of his fingers and toes – next, bringing him gasping to all fours, came a horrible melting feeling, as the skin all over his body bubbled like hot wax – and before his eyes, his hands began to grow, the fingers thickened, the nails broadened, the knuckles were bulging like bolts – his shoulders stretched painfully and prickling on his forehead told him that half was creeping down toward his eyebrows – his robes ripped as his chest expanded like a barrel bursting its hoops – his feet were in agony in shoes four sizes too small.

As suddenly as it had started, everything stopped. Harry lay face down on the stone-cold floor, listening to Myrtle gurgling morosely in the end toilet. With difficulty, he kicked off his shoes and stood up. So this was what it felt like, being Goyle. His large hand trembling, he pulled off his old robes, which were hanging a foot above his ankles, pulled on the spare ones, and laced up Goyle's boat-like shoes. He reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes and met only the short growth of wiry bristles, low on his forehead. Then he realized that his glasses were clouding his eyes because Goyle obviously didn't need them – he took them off and called,

"Are you two okay?" Goyle's low rasp of a voice issued from his mouth.

"Yeah," came the deep grunt of Crabbe from his right.

Harry unlocked his door and stepped in front of the cracked mirror. Goyle stared back at him out of the dull, deep set eyes. Harry scratched his ear. So did Goyle. He looked around the bathroom for Selena. "Selena, where are you?"

"Down here Harry, or should I say Goyle?" Selena said in awe.

Harry looked down and immediately felt like a giant. It was only now he realised how small and skinny Selena really was. "I feel like a toothpick." she giggled.

Ron's door opened. They stared at each other. Except that he looked pale and shocked, Ron was indistinguishable from Crabbe, from the pudding bowl haircut to the long, gorilla arms.

"This is unbelievable," said Ron, approaching the mirror and prodding Crabbe's flat nose. "Unbelievable."

"We'd better get going," said Harry, loosening the watch that was cutting into Goyle's thick wrist. "We've still got to find out where the Slytherin common room is."

Harry and Ron glanced down at Selena, who shrugged innocently. "Don't look at me! I only know it's down in the dungeons, but the exact location I know nothing."

Harry sighed in Goyle's husky tone. "Guess our best bet is to find someone to follow…"

Ron, who was gazing at Harry, said, "You don't know how bizarre it is to see Goyle thinking."

"Tweedle-Dum's not the brightest torch in the corridor, I can agree on that," said Selena walking over to Hermione stall and banging on the door. "C'mon Hermione, we need to go –"

A high pitched voice answered her.

"I – I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me."

"Hermione, we know Millicent Bulstrode's ugly, no one's going to know it's you –" said Ron.

"No – really – I don't think I'll come. You three hurry up, you're wasting time –"

Harry looked at Ron and Selena, bewildered.

"That looks more like Goyle," said Ron. "That's how he looks every time a teacher asks him a question."

"Hermione, are you okay?" said Selena through the door.

"Fine – I'm fine – go on –"

Harry looked at his watch. Five of their precious sixty minutes had already passed.

"We'll meet you back here, all right?" he said.

Harry, Ron and Selena opened the door of the bathroom carefully, checked that the coast was clear, and set off.

"Don't swing your arms like that," Selena muttered to Ron.

"Eh?"

"Crabbe holds them sort of stiff…"

"How's this?"

"Perfect…" she said as she pulled out the invisibility cloak – pulled it over her so it covered her entire body and only her head was visible, bobbing along in mid-air.

They went down the marble staircase. All they needed now was a Slytherin that they could follow to the Slytherin common room, but there was nobody around.

"Any ideas?" muttered Harry.

"The Slytherins always come up to breakfast from over there," said Ron, nodding at the entrance to the dungeons. The words had barely left his mouth when a girl with long, curly hair emerged from the entrance. Selena quickly pulled the cloak over her head before the girl could spot her floating head.

"Excuse me," said Ron, hurrying up to her. "We've forgotten the way to our common room."

"I beg your pardon?" said the girl stiffly. "Our common room? I'm a Ravenclaw." She walked away, looking suspiciously back at them.

Harry, Ron and Selena hurried down the stone steps into the darkness, their footsteps echoing particularly loudly as Crabbe's and Goyle's huge feet hit the floor, Selena had to jog to keep up. Harry and Ron could hear her heavy panting breathes behind them over the stomping of their feet. They all has the nasty feeling that this wasn't going to be as easy as they had hoped.

The labyrinthine passages were deserted. They walked deeper and deeper under the school, constantly checking their watches to see how much time they had left. After a quarter of an hour, just when they were getting desperate, they heard a sudden movement ahead.

"Ha!" said Ron excitedly. "There's one of them now!"

The figure was emerging from the side room. As they hurried nearer, however, their hearts sank. It wasn't a Slytherin, it was Percy.

"What're you doing down here?" said Ron in surprise.

Percy looked affronted.

"That," he said stiffly, "is none of your business. It's Crabbe, isn't it?"

"Wh – oh, yeah," said Ron.

"Well, get off to your dormitories," said Percy sternly. "It's not safe to go wandering around dark corridors these days."

"You are," Ron pointed out.

"I," said Percy, drawing himself up, "am a prefect. Nothing's about to attack me."

A voice suddenly echoed behind Harry and Ron (and technically Selena, though no one could see her). Draco Malfoy was strolling toward them, and for the first time in his life, Harry was pleased to see him.

"There you are," he drawled, looking at them. "Have you two been pigging out in the Great Hall all this time? I've been looking for you; I've got something to show you."

Malfoy glanced witheringly at Percy.

"And what're you doing down here, Weasley?" he sneered.

Percy looked outraged.

"You want to show a bit more respect to a school prefect!" he said. "I don't like your attitude!"

Malfoy sneered and motioned for Harry and Ron to follow him, Selena hurried to keep up. Harry almost said something apologetic to Percy but caught himself just in time. He and Ron hurried after Draco, who said as they turned into the next passage, "That Peter Weasley –"

"Percy," Ron corrected him automatically.

"Whatever," said Malfoy. "I've noticed him sneaking around a lot lately. And I bet I know what he's up to. He thinks he's going to catch Slytherin's heir single handed." He gave a short, derisive laugh. Harry and Ron exchanged excited looks. Selena rolled her eyes from under the cloak. Soon they'll see that Draco knows nothing, she thought.

Malfoy paused by a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

"What's the new password again?" he said to Harry.

"Er –" said Harry.

"Oh, yeah – pure blood!" said Malfoy, not listening, and a stone door concealed in the wall slid open. Malfoy marched through it, and Harry, Ron and Selena followed behind him.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps hanging on chains. A fire crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were silhouetted around it in high backed chairs.

"Wait here," said Malfoy to Harry and Ron, motioning them to a pair of empty chairs set back from the fire. Selena stood behind Harry's chair, not daring to make a sound. "I'll go and get it – my father's just sent it to me –"

Wondering what Malfoy was going to show them, Harry and Ron sat down, doing their best to look at home.

Malfoy came back a minute later, holding what looked like a newspaper clipping. He thrust it under Ron's nose.

"Unbelievable." he said.

Harry and Selena saw Ron's eyes widen in shock. He read the clipping quickly, gave a very forced laugh, and handed it to Harry.

It had been clipped out of the Daily Prophet, and it said:

INQUIRY AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC

Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, was today fined fifty Galleons for bewitching a Muggle car.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy, a governor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where the enchanted car crashed earlier this year, called today for Mr. Weasley's resignation.

"Weasley had brought the Ministry into disrepute," Mr. Malfoy told our reporter. "He is clearly unfit to draw up our laws and his ridiculous Muggle Protection Act should be scrapped immediately."

Mr. Weasley was unavailable for comment, although his wife told reporters to clear off or she'd set the family ghoul on them.

"Well?" said Malfoy impatiently as Harry handed the clipping back to him. "Can you believe it?"

Not sure what else to do Harry said bleakly, "Ha, ha,"

To his shock and amazement, Malfoy said scornfully. "It's not a laughing matter Goyle. Arthur Weasley's love for Muggles has jeopardised the discovery of our world, what's more it nearly killed Selena when she, Potter and Weasley crashed that car into the Whomping Willow."

Harry's and Ron's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, but Malfoy didn't notice as he continued. "You'd never know the Weasleys were pure bloods, the way they behave."

Ron's – or rather, Crabbe's – face was contorted with fury.

"What's up with you, Crabbe?" snapped Malfoy.

"Stomach-ache," Ron grunted.

"Well, go up to the hospital wing, then, don't come to me for your health troubles," said Malfoy, slumping into a chair opposite them. "You know, I'm surprised the Daily Prophet hasn't reported all these attacks yet," he went on thoughtfully. "I suppose Dumbledore's trying to hush it all up. It's dangerous. You'd think someone in their right mind would have the Muggle-borns sent home" –

" _He's got a point you know, Harry,"_ said Selena's voice as Draco continued on.

– "Father's always said Dumbledore was a twisted old loon. He loves Muggle-borns, so you'd think he'd have them sent home for their safety, but no, he keeps them here. Look what happened to that Creevey, but I expect that the Potters are having an easier time without him following them like a bad smell."

Malfoy started taking pictures with an imaginary camera and did an accurate impression of Colin: "Potters, can I have your picture, Potters? Can you I have your autograph? Can I lick your shoes, please, Potter? You're so pretty Selena, will you marry me?'"

Selena had to cover her mouth to contain the gasp that nearly exposed her presence. While she was glad Colin wasn't following her around, she wished that it wasn't under the current circumstances. Then there was Draco's imitation of Colin proposing to her. Was that why Colin acted so excited when he was around her before he was Petrified?

Draco dropped his hands and looked at Harry and Ron. "I wouldn't be surprised if Creevey has a crush on Selena." Draco muttered in a jealous way. "What's the matter with you two?"

Far too late, Harry and Ron forced themselves to laugh, but Malfoy seemed satisfied; perhaps Crabbe and Goyle were always slow on the uptake.

"The Potters, the Muggle-borns friends," said Malfoy slowly. "And people have to nerve to think they're Slytherins heirs!"

Harry and Ron waited with a bated breath: Malfoy was surely seconds away from telling them it was him – but then "I wish I knew who it is," said Malfoy petulantly. "Then I could beat them up. Selena's getting hell from the other houses, people think she's most likely Slytherins heir because they already know she has telekinesis, but everyone in their right mind knows that it's a Muggle ability."

Ron's jaw dropped so that Crabbe looked even more clueless than usual. He had the strangest suspicion that Selena was grinning under that cloak, in a way that said, 'I told you so'. Fortunately, Malfoy didn't notice, and Harry, thinking fast, said, "You must have some idea who's behind it all…"

"You know I haven't, Goyle, how many times do I have to tell you?" snapped Malfoy. "But I do know one thing, I couldn't even tell this to Selena when she asked me if I knew anything about the Chamber. It's been fifty years since the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and the last time it was opened, a Muggle-born died, so it's only a matter of time before one of them is killed this time… I hope it's Blackwood."

Ron was looking like he had the Body-Bind Curse put on him. Feeling that it would be a bit of a giveaway if Ron looked too clueless, Harry shot him a warning look and said, "D'you know if the person who opened the Chamber last time was caught?"

"Oh, yeah… whoever it was, was expelled," said Malfoy. "They're probably still in Azkaban."

"Azkaban?" said Harry, puzzled.

"Azkaban – the wizard prison, Goyle," said Malfoy, looking at him in disbelief. "Honestly, if you were any slower, you'd be going backwards. Of course, that's all my Father would tell me, he's got a lot on his plate at the moment. You know the Ministry of Magic raided our manor last week?"

Harry tried to force Goyle's dull face into a look of concern.

"Yeah…" said Malfoy. "They didn't find much. Father keeps all his valuable Dark Arts stuff in a secret chamber under the drawing room floor –"

Selena continued smiling to herself. Draco had unknowingly proven her word to be true. She glanced down at Ron and Harry, smirking, but her grin died on her lips when she saw that Crabbe's bowl cut hair was turning red and Goyle's hair was becoming longer and jet black.

" _HARRY! RON! YOU'RE CHANGING BACK!"_ she cried to them both.

Judging by their reactions, they both heard her warning echo in their minds.

They both jumped to their feet.

"Where are you two going?" Malfoy asked.

"Medicine for my stomach," Ron grunted, and without further ado they sprinted the length of the Slytherin common room, hurled themselves at the stone wall, and dashed up the passage, hoping against hope that Malfoy hadn't noticed anything and they hadn't left Selena behind on accident. Harry could feel his feet slipping around in Goyle's huge shoes and had to hoist up his robes as he shrank; they crashed up the steps into the dark entrance hall, which was full of a muffled pounding coming from the closet where they'd locked Crabbe and Goyle. Leaving their shoes outside the closet door, they sprinted in their socks up the marble staircase toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

"Well, it wasn't a complete waste of time," Ron panted, closing the bathroom door behind them.

"Selena, are you there?" Harry called out.

"I'm here!" she replied in a pant, removing the cloak, her face red and sweaty from running.

"I know we haven't found out who's doing the attacks, but I'm going to write to Dad tomorrow and tell him to check under the Malfoys' drawing room floor."

Harry checked his face in the cracked mirror. He was back to normal. He put his glasses on as Ron hammered on the door of Hermione's stall.

"Hermione, come out, we've got loads to tell you –"

"Go away!" Hermione squeaked.

Harry, Ron and Selena looked at each other.

"What's the matter?" said Ron. "You must be back to normal by now, we are –"

But Moaning Myrtle glided suddenly through the stall door. Harry had never seen her looking so happy.

"Ooooooh, wait till you see," she said. "It's awful –"

"Myrtle, what's going on?" Selena asked sternly.

They heard the lock slide back and Hermione emerged, sobbing, her robes pulled up over her head.

"What's up?" said Ron uncertainly. "Have you still got Millicent's nose or something?"

Hermione let her robes fall and Ron backed into the sink.

"Oh dear," Selena uttered.

Her face was covered in black hair. Her eyes had turned yellow and there were long, pointed ears poking through her hair.

"It was a c-cat hair!" she howled. "M-Millicent Bulstrode m-must have a cat! And the p-potion isn't supposed to be used for animal transformations!"

"Uh oh," said Ron.

"You'll be teased something dreadful," said Myrtle happily.

"That'll do Myrtle," said Selena.

"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry quickly. "We'll take you up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey never asks too many questions…"

It took a long time to persuade Hermione to leave the bathroom, though Hermione eventually agreed to leave under the invisibility cloak. Moaning Myrtle sped them on their way with a hearty guffaw. "Wait till everyone finds out you've got a tail!"


	14. The Very Secret Diary

Hermione remained in the hospital wing for several weeks. There was a flurry of rumour about her disappearance when the rest of the school arrived back from their Christmas holidays, because of course everyone though that she had been attacked. So many students filed past the hospital wing trying to catch a glimpse of her that Madam Pomfrey took out her curtains again and placed them around Hermione's bed, to spare her the shame of being seen with a furry face.

Harry, Selena and Ron went to visit her every evening. When the new term started, they brought her each day's homework.

"if I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," said Ron, tipping a stack of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," said Hermione briskly. Her spirits were greatly improved by the fact that all the hair had gone from her face and her eyes were turning slowly back to brown. "I don't suppose you've got any new leads?" she added in a whisper, so that Madam Pomfrey couldn't hear her.

"Nothing," said Harry gloomily.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," said Ron, for about the hundredth time.

"What's that?" asked Selena, pointing to something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow.

"Just a get-well card," said Hermione hastily, trying to poke it out of sight, but Ron was too quick for her. He pulled it out, flicked it open, and read aloud:

"To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award."

Ron looked up at Hermione, disgusted.

"You sleep with this under your pillow?"

But Hermione was spared answering by Madam Pomfrey sweeping over her evening dose of medicine.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said to Harry and Selena as they left the infirmary and started up the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower.

"I bet he puts something in his shampoo to keep his head from floating off his neck. Imagine that, Professor Lockfart joining the Headless Hunt." Selena laughed.

Ron and Harry choked on their own sniggers. " _Lock-fart_?" Harry chuckled.

"I'm going to use that now," Ron quickly agreed. "I needed something to cheer me up. All this work we've been given is gonna kill me,"

"Oh Ron, it's no good fighting it. The sooner we get this homework done, the sooner we get our freedom."

Harry and Ron groaned. "Thanks for the reminder."

Snape had given them so much homework, Harry thought he was likely to be in the sixth year before he finished it. Ron was begging Selena for the answer to how many rat tails were supposed to be added to a Hair-Raising Potion when an angry outburst from the floor above reached their ears.

"It's Filch," Harry muttered as they hurried up the stairs and paused, out of sight, listening hard.

"You don't think someone else's been attacked?" said Ron tensely.

"I hope not," said Selena biting her lip.

They stood still, their heads inclined toward Filch's voice, which sounded quite hysterical.

"– even more work for me! Mopping all night, like I haven't got enough to do! No, this is the final straw, I'm going to Dumbledore –"

His footsteps receded along the out of sight corridor and they heard a distant door slam.

They poked their heads around the corner. Filch had clearly been manning his usual lookout post: They were once again on the spot where Mrs. Norris had been attacked. They saw a glance what Filch had been shouting about. A great flood of water stretching over half the corridor, and it looked as though it was still seeping from under the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Now that Filch had stopped shouting, they could hear Myrtle's wails echoing off the bathroom walls.

"Oh no," said Selena mournfully.

"Now what's up with her?" said Ron.

"Let's go and see," said Harry, and holding their robes over their ankles they stepped through the great wash of water to the door bearing it's OUT OF ORDER sign, ignored it as always, and entered.

Moaning Myrtle was crying, if possible, louder and harder than ever before. She seemed to be hiding down her usual toilet. It was dark in the bathroom because the candles had been extinguished in the great rush of water that had left both walls and floor soaking wet.

"Myrtle? What's wrong?" said Selena.

"Who's that?" glugged Myrtle miserably. "Come to throw something else at me?"

Selena waded across to her stall and said, "Myrtle it's just me. Why would anyone want to throw something at you?"

"Don't ask me," sniffed Myrtle miserably, floating from the stall with a wave of yet more water, which splashed onto the already sopping floor. "Here I am, minding my own business, and someone thinks it's funny to throw a book at me…"

"But it can't hurt you if someone throws something at you," said Harry, reasonably. "I mean, it'd just go right through you, wouldn't it?"

He had said the wrong thing. Selena winced as Myrtle puffed herself up and shrieked, "Let's all throw books at Myrtle, because she can't feel it! Ten points if you get it through her stomach! Fifty points if it goes through her head! Well, ha, ha, ha! What a lovely game, I don't think!"

"Who threw it at you anyway?" asked Selena.

"I don't know… I was just sitting in the U bend, thinking about death, and it feel right through the top of my head," said Myrtle, glaring at Harry and Ron. "It's over there, it got washed out…"

Harry, Ron and Selena looked under the sink where Myrtle was pointing. A small, thin book lay there. It had a shabby black cover and was a wet as everything else in the bathroom. Harry stepped forward to pick it up, but Ron suddenly flung out an arm to hold him back.

"What are you doing Ron?" said Harry.

"Are you crazy?" said Ron. "It could be dangerous."

"Dangerous?" said Selena, laughing. "Come off it, how could it be dangerous?"

"You two'd be surprised," said Ron, who was looking apprehensively at the book. "Some of the books the Ministry's confiscated Dad's told me – there was one that burned your eyes out. And everyone who read Sonnets of a Sorcerer spoke in limericks for the rest of their lives. And some old witch in Bath had a book that you could never stop reading! You just had to wander around with your nose in it, trying to do everything one handed. And –"

"All right, we get the point," said Harry and Selena.

The little book lay on the floor, nondescript and soggy.

"Well, we won't find out unless we look at it," Harry said, and he ducked around Ron and picked it up off the floor.

Harry saw at once that it was a diary, and the faded year on the cover told him it was fifty years old. He opened it eagerly. On the first page he could just make out the name "T.M. RIDDLE" in smudged ink.

"T.M. Riddle, huh, that name doesn't ring any bells?" said Selena.

"It does for me," said Ron, who appeared cautiously and was looking over Harry and Selena's shoulders. "T.M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."

"How on earth d'you know that Ron?" said Selena in amazement.

"Because Filch made me polish his shield about fifty times in detention," said Ron resentfully. "That was the one I burped slugs all over. If you'd wiped slime off a name for an hour, you'd remember it, too."

Harry peeled the wet pages apart. They were completely blank. There wasn't the faintest trace of writing on any of them, not even Auntie Mabel's birthday, or dentist, half past three.

"He never wrote in it," said Harry, disappointed.

"I wonder why someone wanted to flush it away?" said Ron curiously.

Harry turned to the back cover of the book and saw the printed name of a variety store on Vauxhall Road, London.

"He must have been Muggle-born," said Harry thoughtfully. "To have bought a diary from Vauxhall Road…"

"Or half and half like Seamus. Muggle Father, witch mother, or the other way around." said Selena.

"Either way it's not much use to you two," said Ron. He dropped his voice. "Fifty points if you get it through Myrtle's nose." Harry, however, pocketed it.

Hermione left the hospital wing, de-whiskered, tail-less, and fur-free, at the beginning of February. On her first evening back in Gryffindor Tower, Harry showed her T.M. Riddle's diary and told her the story of how they had found it.

"Oooh, it might have hidden powers," said Hermione enthusiastically, taking the diary and looking at it closely.

"If it was, it's hiding them very well," said Ron. "Maybe it's shy. I don't know why you don't chuck it, Harry."

"I wish I knew why someone did try to chuck it," said Harry. "I wouldn't mind know how Riddle got an award for special services to Hogwarts either."

"Could've been anything," said Ron. "Maybe he got thirty O.W.L.s or saved a teacher from the giant squid. Maybe he murdered Myrtle; that would've done everyone a favour…"

Ron shrank back into his armchair when Selena cast him a dark look, her eyes appearing to glow.

But Harry could tell from the arrested look on Hermione's face that she was thinking what he was thinking.

"What?" said Ron, looking from one to the other.

"Well, the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago, wasn't it?" he said.

"That is what Draco said." said Selena, the glow fading from her eyes.

"Yeah…" said Ron slowly.

"And this diary is fifty years old," said Hermione, tapping it excitedly.

"So?"

"Oh, Ron, wake up," snapped Hermione. "We know the person who opened the Chamber last time was expelled fifty years ago. We know T.M. Riddle got an award for special services to the school fifty years ago."

Selena expression brightened. "You think he might have got his special award for catching the Heir of Slytherin?"

"That's exactly what I think. His diary could tell us everything – where the Chamber is, and how to open it, and what sort of creature lives in it – the person who's behind the attacks this time wouldn't want that lying around, would they?"

"That's a brilliant theory, Hermione," said Ron, "with just one tiny problem. There's nothing written in his diary." But Hermione was pulling her wand out of her bag.

"It might be invisible ink!" she whispered.

She tapped the diary three times and said, "Aparecium!"

Nothing happened. Undaunted, Hermione shoved her hand back into her bag and pulled out what appeared to be a bright red eraser.

"It's a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley," she said.

She rubbed hard on January first. Nothing happened.

"Let me try," said Selena taking the diary from Hermione. She brought it to her nose and sniffed the pages.

Ron gave her an odd look. "Are you sniffing it, what's the matter with you?"

"I wanna see if it smells like lemon juice."

Ron continued to stare at her like she had grown a second head. "Excuse me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and explained. "Muggles have their own version of invisible ink. It's literally freshly squeezed lemon juice, then when you hold up the parchment to a light, the letters will appear."

As she said that, Selena held up a page in front of the fireplace, but at a distance so it not set it on fire. Nothing appeared.

"Forget it Selena, there's nothing to find in there," said Harry. "Riddle just got a diary for Christmas and couldn't be bothered filling it in."

Yet Harry couldn't explain, even to himself, why he didn't just throw Riddle's diary away, or why Selena hadn't done it for him. The fact was that even though they both knew the diary was blank, either one of them kept absentmindedly picking it up and turning the pages, as though it were a story they wanted to finish. And while Harry and Selena were sure they had never heard the name T.M. Riddle before, it still seemed to mean something to them, almost as though Riddle was a friend they'd had when they were very small, and had half forgotten. But this was absurd. They'd never had friends before Hogwarts, Dudley had made sure of that.

Nevertheless, Harry and Selena were determined to find out more about Riddle, so the next day at break, they headed for the trophy room to examine Riddle's special award, accompanied by an interested Hermione and a thoroughly unconvinced Ron, who told them he'd seen enough of the trophy room to last him a lifetime.

Riddle's burnished gold shield was tucked away in a corner cabinet. It didn't carry details of why it had been given to him ("Good thing, too, or it'd be even bigger, and I'd still be polishing it," said Ron). However, they did find Riddle's name on an old Medal for Magical Merit, and on a list of old Head Boys.

"He sounds like Percy," said Ron, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Prefect, Head Boy… probably top of every class –"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," said Hermione in a slightly hurt voice.

The sun had now begun to shine weakly on Hogwarts again. Inside the castle, the mood had grown more hopeful. There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Madam Pomfrey was pleased to report that the Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood.

"The moment their acne clears up, they'll be ready for repotting again," Harry and Selena heard her telling Filch kindly one afternoon. "And after that, it won't be long until we're cutting them up and stewing them. You'll have Mrs. Norris back in no time."

Perhaps the Heir of Slytherin had lost his or her nerve, thought Harry. It must be getting riskier and risker to open the Chamber of Secrets, with the school so alert and suspicious. Perhaps the monster, whatever it was, was even now settling itself down to hibernate for another fifty years…

Ernie Macmillan of Hufflepuff didn't take this cheerful view. He was still convinced that Harry and Selena were the guilty ones, that they had "given themselves away" at the Dueling Club. Peeves wasn't helping matters; he kept popping up in the crowded corridors singing "Oh, Potters, you rotters…" now with a dance routine to match.

Gilderoy Lockhart seemed to think he himself had made the attacks stop. Harry and Selena overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration.

"I don't think there'll be any more trouble, Minerva," he said, tapping his nose knowingly and winking. "I think the Chamber has been locked for good this time. The culprit must have known it was only a matter of time before I caught him. Rather sensible to stop now, before I came down hard on him.

"You know, what the school needs now is a morale booster. Wash away the memories of last term! I won't say anymore just now, but I think I know just the thing…"

He tapped his nose again and strode off.

* * *

Lockhart's idea of a morale booster became clear at breakfast time on February fourteenth. Harry hadn't had much sleep because of a late running Quidditch practice the night before, and he hurried down to the Great Hall, slightly late. He thought, for a moment, that he'd walked through the wrong doors.

The walls were all covered with large, lurid pink flowers. Worse still, heart shaped confetti was falling from the pale blue ceiling. Harry went over to the Gryffindor table, where Ron, Selena and Selena's roommates were sitting looking sickened, and Hermione seemed to have been overcome with giggles.

"What's going on?" Harry asked them, sitting down and wiping confetti off his bacon.

Ron was apparently too disgusted to speak, so Selena did it for him. She pointed to the teachers table and said, "Take a wild guess."

Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes to match the decorations, was waving for silence. The teachers on either side of him were looking stony faced. For where he sat, Harry could see a muscle going in Professor McGonagall's cheek. Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele Gro.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart shouted. "And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!"

Lockhart clapped his hands and through the doors to the entrance hall marched a dozen surly looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Lockhart had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps.

"My friendly, card carrying cupids!" beamed Lockhart. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your valentines, unless some of you are brave ones to hand them out personally! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion! And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!"

Professor Flitwick buried his face in his hands. Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love Potion would be force fed poison.

"Please, Hermione, tell me you weren't one of the forty-six," said Ron as they left the Great Hall for their first lesson. Hermione suddenly became very interested in searching her bag for her schedule and didn't answer.

"You should have seen Evan's face when she saw what Lockhart had done, never seen her look so close to puking in my life. Turned on her heel and marched right back up to Ravenclaw Tower the second she saw what he'd done." said Vanessa picking hearts out of her hair.

"Wise decision," muttered Selena, her breakfast threatening to spill out onto the floor.

"If Lockhart becomes the Heir of Slytherins next victim, I won't complain." said Adeline grimly.

They heard a small voice from behind them, "Um… Selena…"

They all spun around and saw Neville Longbottom standing there awkwardly, with his hands behind his back.

"Neville, what are you doing?" asked Selena.

Neville whimpered, shuffling his feet. "I-I-I wanted to talk to you,"

Selena looked back at Harry, Ron and the girls, who all shrugged. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." she said.

Neville's mouth curved into an excited grin. Selena watched as the group walked away, leaving her alone with Neville. She turned back around to him. "Okay Neville, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked gently.

"I-I-It's a bit e-e-embarrassing… p-p-promise y-you w-w-won't j-judge…"

Selena gave him a warm smile. "I promise…"

Neville stammered as he slowly held out a pure white envelope sealed closed by a red heart shaped wax seal. "I-I-I w-w-wanted t-to give y-y-you t-this," he said, quickly pushing the envelope into Selena's hands.

Selena's mouth fell open and her heart sank. Neville had given her a valentine's day letter. But not wanting to be rude, she opened it up to read the letter.

Your eyes sparkle like gems,

Your hair is as red as a rose,

Your powers can turn my world,

When I first saw you, I definitely froze,

You're the prettiest girl at Hogwarts,

You made me think, you made me fly,

Like the moon in your name, you lift me high,

A true Gryffindor, the one I adore,

The Girl Who'll Live, forevermore,

It wasn't the best poem, but Selena could tell that Neville had put a lot of effort into it. Her heart sank further when she saw the large amount of red coming to Neville's usually pink face.

"Neville… I…"

Neville sighed deeply, and Selena noticed there were tears in his eyes. "I-It's okay, I already know I'll never be good enough for anyone, what was I thinking? I should have known you'd never like it. I'll just leave…" he turned around ready to walk away but found he couldn't. Selena held him by the arm, her other hand still holding the valentine's letter.

"Neville, wait… don't leave just yet. It's really good and I'm proud that you worked up the courage to give it to me in person."

Neville froze. "Y-You like it…"

"I think it's beautiful, sure, it could use some work – but coming from you, this is a huge achievement."

Neville stopped in his tracks, ringing his sweaty hands. "I-I'm glad you like it, so… would you be my valentine?"

Selena gasped as Neville continued.

"I've had a thing for you since you got Malfoy to apologise to me, then you got me down from that chandelier. You were also one of the first people who got me to stick up for myself and you're really pretty…"

Selena's face fell. "Neville… I'm sorry, but… I can't…"

A few tears began to fall down Neville's face. Selena quickly said, "Don't take this personally, but… I already have a thing for another boy…" she said, hoping she wasn't going to hurt his feelings.

"T-There's another boy?"

"Yes, but you have to understand… I only see you as a friend Neville, and I do admire your bravery. You're a true Gryffindor on the inside, and you don't even realise it. But… it's also because we're still young. We shouldn't be in relationships until we're older. That's what I was told when I was having troubles with my own feelings, I was told I should put these feelings from my mind for now. Whether we will move on or not, all depends on how much we will change in the next year. I don't think you're worthless Neville, not at all. I think there will be a time where all the girls in the school will swoon over you."

"You're just saying that…"

Selena shook her head. "I'm saying that because I know it will happen. You're a great boy Neville and a great wizard. Any girl would be lucky to be with you. We're still young and we still have plenty of life ahead, so you still have a chance at love."

Neville smiled at her, wiping away his tears. "Thank you, Selena." He choked out, embracing her.

Selena smiled back, hugging him back.

Selena thought that Neville's valentine would be her last for that day, but she was wrong. All day long, the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the annoyance of the teachers. Strangely, most of the cards were delivered to Selena, much to the scowl of Veronica Blackwood, who hadn't received a single one.

Then late that afternoon as the Gryffindors were walking upstairs for Charms, one of the dwarfs caught up with the twins.

"Oi, you! 'Arry Potter!" shouted a particularly grim looking dwarf elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry.

Hot all over at the thought of being given a valentine in front of a line of first years, which happened to include Ginny Weasley, Harry tried to escape. The dwarf, however, cut his way through the crowd by kicking people's shins, and reached him before he'd gone two paces.

"I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person," he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

"Not here," Harry hissed, trying to escape.

"Stay still!" grunted the dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back.

"Hey! Get off!" Selena shouted, trying to pull the dwarf off the bag with her powers, but the dwarf held a strong grip on Harry's bag.

"Let me go!" Harry snarled, tugging.

With a loud ripping noise, his bag spilt in two. His books, wand, parchment, and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottle smashed over everything.

Harry scrambled around, trying to pick it all up before the dwarf started singing, causing something of a hold up in the corridor.

"What's going on here?" came the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

Harry started stuffing everything feverishly into his ripped bag, desperate to get away before Malfoy could hear his musical valentine.

"What's the hold up?" came the shrill voice of Veronica Blackwood.

Selena groaned, trying to help Harry pick up all his stuff and shoo away the growing crowd.

"What's all this commotion?" said another familiar voice as Percy Weasley arrived.

Losing his head, Harry tried to make a run for it, but the dwarf seized him around the knees and brought him crashing to the floor.

"Right," he said, sitting on Harry's ankles. "Here is your singing valentine:

His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's really divine,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

Harry would have given all the gold in Gringotts to evaporate on the spot. Trying valiantly to laugh along with everyone else, he got up with help from Selena, who glared at everyone dangerously and picked the dwarf off Harry's ankles. Percy did his best to disperse the crowd, some of whom were crying with mirth.

"Off you go, off you go, the bell rang five minutes ago, off to class, now," he said, shooing some of the younger students away. "And you, Blackwood –"

Harry and Selena, glancing over, saw Blackwood stoop and snatch up something. Leering she looked over the leather cover, and the twins realized that she'd got Riddle's diary.

"Give that back, Veronica," said Selena quietly.

"Wonder what Potterina's written in this?" said Blackwood, who obviously hadn't noticed the year on the cover and thought she had Selena's own diary. While it was true that Selena owned a diary, her real diary was safe in the draw of her bedside table up in the Gryffindor girl's dormitory. A hush fell over the onlookers. Ginny was staring from the diary to Harry, looking terrified.

"Hand it over, Blackwood," said Draco sternly.

"When I've had a look," said Blackwood, waving the diary tauntingly at Selena.

Percy said, "As a school prefect –" but Selena had lost her temper. She waved her hand and Blackwood found the diary shooting out of her hand into the air. Selena, grinning broadly, caught it.

"Selena!" said Percy loudly. "No magic in the corridors. I'll have to report this, you know!"

"Selena has telekinesis Weasley, everyone knows that!" said Draco furiously.

But Selena didn't care, she was one up on Blackwood, and that was worth five points from Gryffindor any day. Blackwood was looking furious, and as Ginny passed her to enter her classroom, she yelled spitefully after her, "I don't think Potter liked your valentine much!"

Ginny covered her face with her hands and ran into class. Snarling, Ron pulled out his wand, but Harry pulled him away followed by Selena. Ron didn't need to spend the whole of Charms belching slugs. "Just because you didn't get any valentines, Veronica." they heard Draco snarl to Blackwood. Blackwood glared at him – opened her mouth to say something – gave a frustrated yell and marched off to her own class.

It wasn't until they had reached Professor Flitwick's class that Harry, and Selena noticed something rather odd about Riddle's diary. All Harry's other books were drenched in scarlet ink. The diary, however, was as clean as it had been before the ink bottle had smashed all over it. They tried to point this out to Ron, but Ron was having trouble with his wand again; large purple bubbles were blossoming out of the end, and he wasn't much interested in anything else.

Harry went to bed before anyone else in his dormitory that night. This was partly because he didn't think he could stand Fred and George singing, "His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad" one more time, and partly because he wanted to examine Riddle's diary again and knew that Ron though he was wasting his time.

Selena on the other hand, spent nearly three hours looking through all the valentine's she had received. It was good that her roommates were there to help her sort through them and read them out to her. As it turned out, Selena had received a valentine nearly every boy in her year, several in first year, three more in fourth year and even one in sixth year.

"This is insane," Selena murmured in awe, looking through three letters at once. "I've never received so many valentines letters before."

She chuckled at a joke Seamus Finnigan had written in his valentine. When she looked up, she saw all three roommates giggling among themselves. "What?"

Adeline managed to compose herself. "Don't tell us, you don't know?"

"Know what?"

"Selena, why else do you think you have received so many valentines? Nearly half the boys in our year fancy you."

Selena's mouth fell open. "W-What?"

Vanessa nodded her head. "Yeah, it's crazy. But really, you can't blame them Selena. Boys will be boys."

"But you're really pretty Selena, like, really pretty. It's not at all surprising that you've caught the eye of a few boys."

"Why thank you, Odessa." Selena said taking a mocking bow.

"So how do you feel about all this attention you're getting?" asked Adeline as she added three more envelopes onto the "Read it" pile.

Selena shrugged. "Hard to say, a lot of these are really sweet. You girls should have seen Neville's."

Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa looked up at her in surprise. "Neville sent you one? Where is it?"

Selena reached into her bag and pulled out Neville's valentine. "He didn't send it to me with one of Lockhart's cupids, he gave it to me personally."

"What did it say?"

"It was a poem, then he told me that he's had a thing for me since last year, after I got Draco to apologise to him."

"Aww, that's so cute. You didn't reject him, did you?" said Odessa.

Selena looked away, biting her bottom lip. Odessa gasped dramatically. "Selena, how could you?!"

Selena served her head around, face painted with horror. "Heavens no, I didn't _reject_ , reject him. It's just these two things. One, we're only twelve. Falling in love at this age is only going to lead to heartbreak and we're too young for that. Two, I only see him as a friend. But I told him he has plenty of time ahead of him for a relationship. I do like Neville, just not in that way."

Odessa calmed down and settled back on the bed.

Adeline just smirked at Selena knowingly that she had deliberately left out reason number three. She had debated on uttering that out but thought better of it. Instead she said, "Bet Veronica didn't like seeing you with this many valentine's day letters?"

Selena laughed and shook her head. "I don't think she did. She didn't receive a single one."

"Serves her right, that snobby McSnobter still hasn't figured out that not many of us are going to know about her and her previous modelling career. How many Wizards and Witches know what a Beauty Pageant is?" said Vanessa bitterly.

"I still have yet to figure out why she's always harassing me every chance she gets." said Selena with a groan.

"Maybe she's jealous of you Selena?" said Odessa as the girls all climbed into their separate beds.

Selena looked up from a letter from a sixth year she had never spoken to, saying how much he admired her powers and how he didn't believe that she was behind the attacks. "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it," Odessa rambled, cleaning a smudge off her glasses, then putting them back on. "Veronica's a nobody here at Hogwarts, yet she's used to fame and being the centre of attention and to have another girl – in her eyes – steal her spotlight. It explains everything, why she's always bitchy towards everyone, why she hates your guts, why she's always trying to make you look bad."

Adeline and Vanessa looked at Odessa like she had turned gold. "That actually makes a lot of sense." said Vanessa in wonder.

Selena bit her bottom lip. "I never really thought about that, you got me thinking now."

She cocked her head towards the door and heard the sound of someone walking down into the common room. Selena felt Harry's presence and sensed that he was going to investigate T. M. Riddle's diary in privacy.

"Well, we've got an early start tomorrow. Better for us to get some sleep." Though Selena secretly planned on sneaking down to the common room to see what Harry was up too.

"Couldn't agree more, night girls." yawned Adeline, flicking off the light and the dorm room fell silent.

Selena gave it ten minutes before she was sure the girls were sound asleep. Slowly she left the warmth of her own bed and slowly tip-toed down the stairs.

Sure enough, Harry was sitting alone on a long red couch with only a single smouldering candle for light. As expected, he was flipping through the pages of Riddle's diary. "Harry, what are you doing? You investigating Riddle's diary without me?" she added cheekily, but was careful enough to whisper.

Harry spun around and nearly gave a yell. "Selena, you made me jump. What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep," she lied. "What are you doing with Riddle's diary?" she asked, taking a seat beside him.

"Trying to figure it out. You noticed that it didn't get any ink stains on it this afternoon. That's what I'm trying to figure out."

"That was strange, maybe we should test it, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke."

"Good idea." said Harry, bringing out a new bottle, dipped his quill into it, and dropped a blot onto the first page of the diary.

The ink shone brightly on the paper for a second and then, as though it was being sucked into the page, vanished. Selena gasped and looked to Harry. Excited, Harry loaded up his quill a second time and wrote, "My name is Harry Potter."

He handed the quill to Selena and she wrote down in her wavy yet neat handwriting. "My name is Selena Potter."

The words shone momentarily on the page and they, too, sank without a trace. Then, at last, something happened.

Oozing back out of the page, in their very own ink, came words neither twin had written.

"Hello, Harry Potter. Hello, Selena Potter. My name is Tom Riddle. How did you two come by my diary?"

These words, too, faded away, but not before Selena had scribbled back.

"Someone tried to flush it down a toilet."

The twins waited eagerly for Riddle's reply.

"Lucky that I recorded my memories in some more lasting way than ink. But I always knew that there would be those who would not want this diary read."

Harry took his quill back and scrawled, blotting the page in his excitement. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that this diary holds memories of terrible things. Things that were covered up. Things that happened at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"That's where me and my sister are now," Harry wrote quickly. "We're at Hogwarts, and horrible stuff's been happening. Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?"

Hearts thumping wildly in their chests, the twins looked at each other with hope. Riddle's reply came quickly, his writing becoming untidier, as though he was hurrying to tell all he knew

"Of course, I know about the Chamber of Secrets. In my day, they told us it was a legend, that it did not exist. But this was a lie. In my fifth year, the Chamber was opened, and the monster attacked several students, finally killing one. I caught the person who'd opened the Chamber and he was expelled. But the Headmaster, Professor Dippet, ashamed that such a thing had happened at Hogwarts, forbade me to tell the truth. A story was given out that the girl had died in a freak accident. They gave me a nice, shiny, engraved trophy for my trouble and warned me to keep my mouth shut. But I knew it could happen again. The monster lived on, and the one who had the power to release it was not imprisoned."

Selena nearly upset the ink bottle in her hurry to take the quill off Harry and write back.

"That's what's happening now, though no one's died yet. There have been three attacks, and no one seems to know who's behind them. Who was it last time?"

"I can show you two, if you like," came Riddle's reply. "You don't have to take my word for it. I can take you inside my memory of the night when I caught him."

Harry and Selena hesitated, the quill suspended over the diary. What did Riddle mean? How could they be taken inside somebody else's memory? They glanced nervously at the dark staircase, then at each other. When they looked back at the diary, they saw fresh words forming.

"Let me show you two."

Selena paused for a fraction of a second and then wrote two letters.

"OK."

The pages of the diary began to blow as though caught in a high wind, stopping halfway through the month of June. Mouths hanging open, Harry and Selena saw that the little square for June thirteenth seemed to have turned into a miniscule television screen. Their hands trembled slightly, Harry raised the book to press their eyes against the little window, and before either knew what was happening, they were tilting forward; the window was widening, they felt their bodies leave the couch, and they were pitched headfirst through the opening in the page, into a whirl of colour and shadow.

They felt their feet hit solid ground, and stood, shaking, as the blurred shapes around them came suddenly into focus.

They both knew immediately where they were. This circular room with the sleeping portraits was Dumbledore's office – but it wasn't Dumbledore who was sitting behind the desk. A wizened, frail looking wizard, bald except for a few wisps of white hair, was reading a letter by candlelight. Harry and Selena had never seen this man before.

"Sorry," Harry said shakily. "We didn't mean to butt in –"

But the wizard didn't look up. He continued to read, frowning slightly. Harry and Selena drew nearer to his desk and stammered, "Er – we'll just go, shall we?" said Selena.

Still the wizard ignored them. He didn't seem even to have heard them. Thinking that the wizard might be deaf, Harry raised his voice.

"Sorry we disturbed you. We'll go now," he half shouted.

The wizard folded up the letter with a sigh, stood up, walked past Harry and Selena without glancing at them, and went to draw the curtains at his window.

The sky outside the window was ruby red; it seemed to be sunset. The wizard went back to the desk, sat down, and twiddled his thumbs, watching the door.

Harry and Selena looked around the office. No Fawkes the phoenix – no whirring silver contraptions. This was Hogwarts as Riddle had known it, meaning that this unknown wizard was Headmaster, not Dumbledore, and they, Harry and Selena, were little more than phantoms, completely invisible to the people of fifty years ago.

There was a knock on the office door.

"Enter," said the old wizard in a feeble voice.

A boy of about sixteen entered, taking off his pointed hat. A silver prefect's badge was glinting on his chest. He was much taller than Harry, but he, too, had jet black hair.

"Ah, Riddle," said the Headmaster.

"You wanted to see me, Professor Dippet?" said Riddle. He looked nervous.

"Sit down," said Dippet. "I've just been reading the letter you sent me."

"Oh," said Riddle. He sat down, gripping his hands together very tightly.

"My dear boy," said Dippet kindly, "I cannot possibly let you stay at school over the summer. Surely you want to go home for the holidays?"

"No," said Riddle at once. "I'd much rather stay at Hogwarts than go back to that – to that –"

"You live in a Muggle orphanage during the holidays, I believe?" said Dippet curiously.

"Yes, sir," said Riddle, reddening slightly.

"You are Muggle-born?"

"Half-blood, sir," said Riddle. "Muggle father, witch mother."

"And are both your parents –?"

"My mother died just after I was born, sir. They told me at the orphanage she lived just long enough to name me – Tom after my father, Marvolo after my grandfather."

Dippet clucked his tongue sympathetically.

"The thing is, Tom," he sighed, "Special arrangements might have been for you, but in the current circumstances…"

"You mean all these attacks, sir?" said Riddle, and the twins' hearts leapt, and they moved closer, scared of missing anything.

"Precisely," said the headmaster. "My dear boy, you must see how foolish it would be of me to allow you to remain at the castle when term ends. Particularly in the light of the recent tragedy… the death of that poor little girl… You will be safer by far at your orphanage. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Magic is even now talking about closing the school. We are no nearer locating the er – source of all this unpleasantness…"

Riddle's eyes had widened.

"Sir – if the person was caught – if it all stopped –"

"What do you mean?" said Dippet with a squeak in his voice, sitting up in his chair. "Riddle, do you mean you know something about these attacks?"

"No, sir," said Riddle quickly.

But Harry and Selena were both sure it was the same sort of "no" that they themselves had given Dumbledore.

Dippet sank back, looking faintly disappointed.

"You may go, Tom…"

Riddle slid off his chair and slouched out of the room. Harry and Selena followed him.

Down the moving spiral staircase, they went, emerging next to the gargoyle in the darkened corridor. Riddle stopped, and so did Harry and Selena, watching him. Harry and Selena could tell that Riddle was doing some serious thinking. He was biting his lip, his forehead furrowed.

Then, as though he had suddenly reached a decision, he hurried off, Harry and Selena gliding noiselessly behind him. They didn't see another person until they reached the entrance hall, when a tall wizard with long, sweeping auburn hair and a beard called to Riddle from the marble staircase.

"What are you doing, wandering around this late, Tom?"

Harry and Selena gaped at the wizard. He was none other than a fifty years younger Dumbledore.

"I had to see the headmaster, sir," said Riddle.

"Well, hurry off to bed," said Dumbledore, giving Riddle exactly the kind of penetrating stare Harry and Selena knew so well. "Best not to roam the corridors these days. Not since…"

He sighed heavily, bade Riddle good night, and strode off. Riddle watched him walk out of sight and then, moving quickly, headed straight down the stone steps to the dungeons, with Harry and Selena in hot pursuit.

But to Harry's and Selena's disappointment, Riddle led them not into a hidden passageway or a secret tunnel but to the very dungeon in which Harry and Selena had Potions with Snape. The torches hadn't been lit, and when Riddle pushed the door almost closed, Harry and Selena could only just see him, standing stock still by the door, watching the passage outside.

It felt to Harry and Selena that they were there for at least an hour. All he could see was the figure at the door, staring through the crack, waiting like a statue. And just when Harry and Selena had stopped feeling expectant and tense and started wishing they could return to the present, they heard something move beyond the door.

Someone was creeping along the passage. They heard whoever it was pass the dungeon where they and Riddle were hidden. Riddle, quiet as a shadow, edged through the door and followed, Harry and Selena tiptoeing behind him, forgetting that they couldn't be heard.

For perhaps five minutes they followed the footsteps, until Riddle stopped suddenly, his head inclined in the direction of new noises. Harry and Selena heard a door creak open, and then someone speaking in a hoarse whisper.

"C'mon… gotta get yeh outta here… C'mon now… in the box…"

There was something familiar about that voice.

Riddle suddenly jumped around the corner. Harry and Selena stepped out behind him. They could see the dark outline of a huge boy who was crouching in front of an open door, a very large box next to it.

"Evening, Rubeus," said Riddle sharply.

The boy slammed the door shut and stood up.

"What yer doin' down here, Tom?"

Riddle stepped closer.

"It's all over," he said. "I'm going to have to turn you in, Rubeus. They're talking about closing Hogwarts if the attacks don't stop."

"What d'yeh –"

"I don't think you meant to kill anyone. But monsters don't make good pets. I suppose you just let it out for exercise and –"

"It never killed no one!" said the large boy, backing against the closed door. From behind him, Harry and Selena could hear a funny rustling and clicking.

"Come on, Rubeus," said Riddle, moving yet closer. "The dead girl's parents will be here tomorrow. The least Hogwarts can do if make sure that the thing that killed their daughter is slaughtered…"

"It wasn't him!" roared the boy, his voice echoing in the dark passage. "He wouldn'! He never!"

"Stand aside," said Riddle, drawing out his wand.

His spell lit the corridor with a sudden flaming light. The door behind the large boy flew open with such force it knocked him into the wall opposite. And out of it came something that Harry and Selena let out a long, piercing scream unheard by anyone –

A vas, low slung, hairy body and a tangle of black legs; a gleam of many eyes and a pair of razor sharp pincers – Riddle raised his wand again, but he was too late. The thing bowled him over as it scuttled away, tearing up the corridor and out of sight. Riddle scrambled to his feet, looking after it; he raised his wand, but the huge boy leapt on him seized his wand, and threw him back down, yelling, "NOOOOOO!"

The scene whirled, the darkness became complete; Harry and Selena felt themselves falling and, with a crash, they landed, with a crash back on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, Riddle's diary lying open between them.

They looked at each other with horrified looks before bolting from the couch and up the stairs to the boys dormitory. Harry and Selena crept into the room and shook Ron awake.

"W-What are you doi –" Ron said groggily. He paused when he saw that the twins were sweating and shaking.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking at them with concern.

"It was Hagrid, Ron. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

* * *

 **:(**

 **...Neville's valentine is so cute isn't it?**


	15. Cornelius Fudge

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Selena, Adeline, Odessa, Vanessa, Evan and Asha all knew that Hagrid had an unfortunate liking for large and monstrous creatures. During their first year at Hogwarts he had tried to raise a dragon in his little wooden house, and it would be a long time before they forgot the giant, three-headed dog he'd christened "Fluffy". And if, as a boy, Hagrid had heard that a monster was hidden somewhere in the castle, Harry and Selena were sure he'd have gone to any length for a glimpse of it. He'd probably though it was a shame that the monster had been cooped up so long, and thought it deserved the chance to stretch its many legs; Harry and Selena could just imagine the thirteen-year-old Hagrid trying to fit a leash and collar on it. But he was equally certain that Hagrid would never have meant to kill anybody.

Harry and Selena half wished they hadn't found out how to work Riddle's diary. Again, and again Ron, Hermione and Selena's girl-friends made them recount what they'd seen (and in Selena's friends case – how they came by Tom Riddle's diary), until they were both heartily sick of telling them and sick of the long, circular conversations that followed.

"Riddle might have got the wrong person," said Hermione. "Maybe it was some other monster that was attacking people…"

"How many monsters d'you think this place can hold?" Ron asked dully.

"We always knew Hagrid had been expelled," said Harry miserably. "And the attacks must've stopped after Hagrid was kicked out. Otherwise, Riddle wouldn't have got his award."

Ron tried a different tack.

"Riddle does sound like Percy – who asked him to squeal on Hagrid, anyway?"

"The monster killed someone, Ron," said Adeline.

"But it can't have been Hagrid, it just can't've. Maybe it was just a coincidence." Asha insisted, bitting her lip nervously.

"But we all know about his love for unique pets, there is that." said Odessa.

"I can think of one," Evan shuddered, remembering that night when they accidently came across Fluffy.

"And then Riddle was going to go back to some Muggle orphanage of they closed Hogwarts," said Selena. "I don't blame him for wanting to stay here…"

"You guys met Hagrid down Knockturn Alley, didn't you, Harry and Selena?"

"He was buying a Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent," said Harry and Selena quickly.

They all fell silent, looking at each other concerned. After a long pause, Hermione voiced the knottiest question of all in a hesitant voice.

"Do you think we should go and ask Hagrid about it all?"

"That'd be a cheerful visit," said Evan. "Hello, Hagrid. Tell is, have you been setting anything mad and hairy loose in the castle lately? Get stuffed!"

In the end, they decided that they would not say anything to Hagrid unless there was another attack, and as more and more days went by with no whisper from the disembodied voice, they became hopeful that they would never need to talk to him about why he had been expelled. It was now nearly four months since Justin and Nearly Headless Nick had been Petrified, and nearly everybody seemed to think that the attacker, whoever it was, had retired for good. Peeves had finally got bored of his "Oh, Potters, you rotters" song, Ernie Macmillian asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day, and in March several of the Mandrakes threw a loud and raucous party in greenhouse three. This made Professor Sprout very happy.

"The moment they start trying to move into each other's pots, we'll know they're fully mature," she told Harry and Selena. "Then we'll be able to revive those poor people in the hospital wing."

The second years were given something new to think about during their Easter holidays. The time had come to choose their subjects for the third year, a matter that Hermione, at least, took very seriously.

"It could affect our whole future," she told Harry, Ron and Selena as they pored over lists of new subjects, marking them with checks.

"I just want to give up Potions," said Harry.

"We can't," said Ron gloomily. "We keep all our old subjects, of I'd've ditched Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"But that's very important!" said Hermione, shocked.

"Not the way Lockfart teaches it," said Ron. "I haven't learned anything from him except not to set pixies loose."

Selena gave Ron a knowable wink.

Neville Longbottom had been sent letters from all the witches and wizards in his family, all giving him different advice on what to choose. Confused and worried, he sat reading the subject lists with his tongue poking out, asking people whether they though Arithmancy sounded more difficult than the study of Ancient Runes. Dean Thomas, who, like Harry and Selena, had grown up with Muggles, ended up closing his eyes and jabbing his wand at the list, then picking the subjects it landed on. Hermione took nobody's advice but signed up for everything.

Harry and Selena smiled grimly to themselves at the thought of what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would say if they tried to discuss their careers in witchcraft and wizardry with them. Not that they didn't get any guidance: Percy Weasley was eager to share his experience.

"Depends where you want to go, Harry and Selena," he said. "It's never too early to think about the future, so I'd recommend Divination. People say Muggle Studies is a soft option, but I personally think wizards and witches should have a thorough understanding of the non-magical community, particularly if they're thinking of working in close contact with them – look at my father, he has to deal with Muggle business all the time. My brother Charlie was always more of an outdoor type, so he went for Care of Magical Creatures. Play to your strengths, Harry and Selena."

Selena tapped her chin, pondering for a little bit. "I did consider becoming a Hogwarts Professor, perhaps in Muggle Studies or Defence Against the Dark Arts at one point. After coming here, do you really think I'd want to leave this place?" she said, smiling as if she had made a joke.

However, her smile faded when she saw Harry's forlorn face.

"What's wrong Harry?" she asked concerned.

"The only thing I'm good at is Quidditch." he said glumly.

"Rubbish, you got full marks on that Charms test last week."

"Only because you helped me. Honestly, I don't care what career I pick, I just want to pick subjects where we're together."

Percy rolled his eyes. "You two are like Fred and George, can't stand to be separated for more than a minute. Just don't follow their childish example."

Selena grinned playfully. "Don't give us any ideas Percy."

Harry couldn't help it, he grinned too.

In the end, the twins settled on picking subjects where they were together. Selena, like Hermione had signed up for all of them. But Selena knew that she was most likely not getting in to all of them as some of them collided with each other. After all, no one could be in two places at once.

* * *

Gryffindor's next Quidditch match would be against Hufflepuff and Selena learned from Evan that Asha had gotten on the team as Chaser. Wood was insisting on team practices every night after dinner, so that Harry barely had time for anything but Quidditch and homework. However, the training sessions were getting better, or at least drier, and the evening before Saturday's match he was heading out down the corridor, when he heard the rapid sound of running footsteps coming from behind him. Harry whirled around and saw Neville and Selena running towards him, both of them looking frantic. "What are you two doing?" he asked.

Selena was panting, out of breath from running. "I don't know exactly, tell him what you found, Neville."

Neville, also gasping for breath, managed to blurt out, "Harry – I don't know who did it – but you've got to come quick – now!"

Without another word, Selena and Neville grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him back up to Gryffindor Tower. When they finally stopped in the middle of the scarlet common room, Harry immediately realised that this must have been serious. Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa were standing by the staircase to the boy's dormitory, with worried looks on their faces. "What the hell's going on?" Harry asked angrily.

Vanessa stepped forward. "Harry, I know you'd rather be at Quidditch practice, but this is – all bullshit aside, you need to see this, right now!" The urgency in her voice was enough to send Harry bounding up the staircase in three huge strides, followed by Selena and Neville.

Harry's jaw dropped when he saw the dormitory. The contents of his trunk had been thrown everywhere. His cloak lay ripped on the floor. The bedclothes had pulled off his four-poster and the drawer had been pulled out of his bedside cabinet, the contents strewn over the mattress.

Harry walked over to the bed, open mouthed, treading on a few loose pages of Travels with Trolls.

Selena stood in the doorway, looking grim. "Yeah…"

As she, Harry and Neville pulled the blankets back onto Harry's bed; Ron, Dean, Adeline, Odessa, Vanessa, and Seamus came in. Dean swore loudly.

"What happened, Harry?"

"No idea," said Harry.

"Whoever it was must've been in a hurry." said Odessa, helping Seamus pick up the pages of Travels with Trolls off the floor.

Selena folded up Harry's muggle clothes and arranged them back in the drawer. "But what were they doing in here anyway?" she asked.

"Get a load of this," said Ron, holding up Harry's robes. All the pockets were hanging out.

"Someone's been looking for something," said Ron. "Check to see if anything's missing."

Everyone raced around the room looking through the mess for anything that could have been stolen.

It was only when Harry threw the last of Lockhart's books back into it that he realized what wasn't there.

"Riddle's diary's gone," he said in an undertone to Ron and Selena.

"What?"

Harry jerked his head toward the dormitory door and Ron, Selena, Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa followed him out. They hurried down to the Gryffindor common room, which was half empty, and joined Hermione, who was sitting alone, reading a book called Ancient Runes Made Easy. Hermione looked aghast at the news.

"But – only a Gryffindor could have stolen – nobody else knows our password –"

"Exactly," said Harry and Selena.

They woke the next day to brilliant sunshine and a light, refreshing breeze.

"Perfect Quidditch conditions!" said Wood enthusiastically at the Gryffindor table, loading the team's plates with scrambled eggs. "Harry, buck up there, you need a decent breakfast."

But Harry had been staring down the packed Gryffindor table, wondering if the new owner of Riddle's diary was right in front of his eyes. He could see Selena talking about it with her friends in hushed whisperers. The twins locked eyes for half a second. Hermione had been urging the both of them to report the robbery, but Harry and Selena reminded her that they'd have to tell a teacher all about the diary, and how many people knew why Hagrid had been expelled fifty years ago? They didn't want to be the ones who brought it all up again.

As they left the Great Hall with Ron, Hermione, Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa to go collect Harry's Quidditch things, another very serious worry was added to the twins growing list. They had just set foot on the marble staircase when they heard it yet again.

" _Kill this time… let me rip… tear…"_

They shouted aloud and Ron, Hermione, Adeline, Odessa and Vanessa both jumped away from them in alarm.

"The voice!" said Harry, – looking over his shoulder.

Selena nodded her head to the point it might fall off. "I heard it too, didn't you guys?"

Ron, Odessa and Vanessa shook their heads, wide eyed. Hermione and Adeline were looking at each other, murmuring among themselves. Hermione then clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Harry, Selena – I think we've just understood something! I've got to go to the library! Adeline, come on." And they sprinted away, up the stairs.

"What do they understand?" said Harry distractedly, still looking around, trying to tell where the voice had come from.

"Loads more than we do," said Ron, shaking his head.

"But why do they both have to go to the library, Hermione I understand, but Adeline?"

"Who knows, but that's what Hermione does," said Ron, shrugging. "When in doubt, go to the library."

"But Adeline's not a bookworm, or a know-it-all like Hermione. Why would she go with her?" said Odessa.

"I'll go see what's got them so panicked, you guys go ahead without me." said Vanessa, bolting up the staircase to the library.

Harry and Selena stood, irresolute, trying to catch the voice again, but people were now emerging from the Great hall behind them, talking loudly, exiting through the front doors on their way to the Quidditch Pitch.

"We'd better get moving," said Ron. "It's nearly eleven – the match –"

Harry raced to Gryffindor Tower, collected his Nimbus Two Thousand, and joined the large crowd swarming across the grounds, but his mind was still in the castle along with the bodiless voice, and as he pulled on his scarlet robes in the locker room, his only comfort was that everyone was now outside to watch the game.

Up in the front row stands, Ron, Evan, Selena and Odessa were waiting patiently for Adeline, Vanessa and Hermione to show up. "What's keeping them I wonder, I mean, there's only so long you can read a library book, but that's what borrowing is for." said Odessa, adjusting her glasses.

"Vanessa's always running late, everyone in our family does. The Shadowmends aren't exactly the most reliable in arrival times." said Evan with a giggle in her throat.

The teams walked onto the field to tumultuous applause. Oliver Wood took off for a warm up flight around the goal posts; Madam Hooch released the balls. The Hufflepuffs, who played in canary yellow, were standing in a huddle, having a last-minute discussion of tactics.

"Asha's been looking forward to this match since first term." Evan continued with a dreamy look in her ocean blue eyes. "She's going to do amazing."

"Hey – what's Professor McGonagall doing there?" said Odessa pointing down on the pitch.

They looked and saw the dot of Professor McGonagall half-marching, half-running onto the pitch, carrying a huge purple megaphone.

Selena felt her stomach twist into a knot. It was the feeling that told her that something was very wrong.

Her fears were confirmed when Professor McGonagall spoke loudly and clearly through the megaphone.

"This match has been cancelled," There were boos and shouts. Oliver Wood, looking devastated, landed and ran toward Professor McGonagall without getting off his broomstick.

"But, Professor!" he shouted. "We've got to play – the cup – Gryffindor –"

Professor McGonagall ignored him and continued to shout through her megaphone: "All students are to make their way back to the House common rooms, where their Heads of Houses will give them further information. As quickly as you can, please!"

Selena looked at her friends with worry. "Let's go see what's happened."

"Good idea!" they all agreed, and they raced out of the stands and onto the pitch lawns towards Professor McGonagall, who was talking to Harry.

"Potter, I think you'd better come with me…"

Harry saw Selena, Ron, Evan and Odessa detach themselves from the complaining crowd and to Harry's surprise, Professor McGonagall didn't object. "Yes, perhaps all of you'd better come too…"

Some of the students swarming around them were grumbling about the match being cancelled; others looked worried. Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha, after Professor McGonagall called her to follow her back into the school too. Professor McGonagall led them all up the marble staircase, but she didn't take them to anybody's office.

"I must warn you all, this will be a bit of a shock," said Professor McGonagall in a surprisingly gentle voice as they approached the infirmary. Selena noticed that Professor McGonagall was giving Evan a look that spoke of sorrow and pain for the Ravenclaw girl. "There has been another attack… four students at once this time…"

Harry's and Selena's insides did a horrible somersault. Professor McGonagall pushed the door open and they, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha entered.

Madam Pomfrey was bending over a fifth-year girl with long, curly hair. Harry recognized her as the Ravenclaw they'd accidently asked for directions to the Slytherin common room. And on the beds next to her were –

"Hermione!" Ron groaned.

"Adeline!" Selena cried. Odessa couldn't speak, her eyes were fogging up with tears.

"VANESSA!" Evan and Asha shrieked like banshees. The Ravenclaw and the Hufflepuff collapsed next to Vanessa's bed in disbelief.

Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa lay utterly still, their eyes open and glassy.

"They were found near the library," said Professor McGonagall. "I don't suppose any of you can explain this? It was on the floor next to them…"

She was holding up a small, circular mirror.

Harry, Ron, Selena and Asha shook their heads, staring at the three immobile Gryffindor girls, but Evan said, if not choked out, "That's Penelope's mirror, she always takes it with her wherever she goes."

Professor McGonagall sighed heavily. "I will escort you all back to your House common rooms. I need to address the students in any case."

Selena could see that Evan was clearly in denial, half-laughing and half-crying. "This can't be happening. Vanessa's a Half-blood, not a Muggle-born. Why was she attacked!"

She looked up at Professor McGonagall with pleading eyes. "Professor, would it be alright if Evan and Asha stay with us in Gryffindor Tower, they might need some friend support. Evan especially, her cousin was just attacked."

Evan and Asha were still crying and didn't hear Selena's proposal.

Professor McGonagall looked over at the tearful Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff – sighed heavily and said, "Very well, just this once. No other exceptions. I shall escort you all to Gryffindor Tower."

"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."

The Gryffindors, along with Evan and Asha were packed inside the scarlet common room as they listened to Professor McGonagall in silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice. "As for our two guests, I expect you all to be especially nice to them and make them feel welcome. They are here on Miss Potter's request." she said, fixing her gaze on Evan and Asha.

She turned back to the rest of the Gryffindors. "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."

She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.

"That's four Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff," said the Weasley twins' friend Lee Jordan, counting on his fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause.

"Chucking the Slytherins out won't solve anything Lee, we don't even know for sure if the culprit is in Slytherin." said Odessa.

"Digby, this has got Slytherin's name written all over it. Look at the evidence!"

"If all the evidence is inconclusive, we can't rule out the culprit being a Slytherin as a certainty." Odessa's hazel eyes were blazing from behind her glasses.

Evan and Asha sat close together by the fire, wrapped in an embrace. Evan slowly turned her head to glare at Lee Jordan. "Odessa's right, but right now Asha and I just want to know who or what attacked my cousin! I'd have thought Vanessa would've been safe! She's a Half-blood, we both are!" she slammed her fist onto the armrest in anger.

"Isn't her father a Muggle-born, though?" asked Fred or George Weasley.

" _Yes_ …" Evan hissed, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, "same with _my_ father, but I wasn't attacked, was I!"

"Just leave us alone… please…" said Asha, unable to speak clear sentences.

Percy Weasley was sitting in a chair behind Lee, but for once he didn't seem keen to make his views heard. He was looking pale and stunned.

"Percy's in shock," George told Harry and Selena quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a prefect. I don't think he though the monster would dare attack a prefect."

But Harry and Selena were only half listening. They didn't seem to be able to get rid of the picture of Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa, lying in their hospital beds as though carved out of stone. And if the culprit wasn't caught soon, they were looking at a lifetime back with the Dursleys. Tom Riddle had turned Hagrid in because he was faced with the prospect of a Muggle orphanage if the school closed. Harry and Selena new knew exactly how he had felt.

"What're we going to do?" said Selena quietly in Harry's ear. "D'you think they suspect Hagrid?"

"We've got to go and talk to him," said Harry, making up his mind. "I can't believe it's him this time, but if he set the monster loose last time he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets, and that's a start."

"But you heard McGonagall, we can't leave our tower except for classes –"

"I think," said Harry, more quietly still, "it's time to get Dad's old cloak out again."

"What about Odessa, Evan and Asha, then there's Ron as well. We all know the same information about the Chamber and Riddle's diary. Besides, don't you think Evan and Asha deserve justice to what happened to Vanessa."

Harry nodded his head, agreeing. "Fine, we'll all go together. But it has to be tonight, I'll let Ron know and you can tell the girls."

And tell them they did, in a huddled group looking like nothing but the usual after the attacks first started. Gossip and rumours were everywhere nowadays.

Using the Invisibility Cloak the twins had inherited from their father might have been their only chance of sneaking out of the school to visit Hagrid without anyone knowing about it. They went to bed at the usual time. Harry and Ron had to wait until Neville, Dean, and Seamus had stopped discussing the Chamber of Secrets and finally fell asleep, then they got up, dressed again, grabbed the cloak and tiptoed down the staircase into the common room where the girls were waiting, also fully dressed. Evan had a determined look on her face. "You boys ready to rock and roll?" she whispered.

"What?" Ron and Odessa asked, confused.

"Muggle expression, don't ask. Come on, no time to waste." Selena said, taking the cloak off Harry and covering all of them.

The journey through the dark and deserted castle corridors wasn't enjoyable. Harry and Selena, who had wandered the castle at night several times before, had never seen it so crowded after sunset. Teachers, prefects, and ghosts were marching the corridors in pairs, staring around for any unusual activity. The Invisibility Cloak didn't stop them making any noise, and there was a particularly tense moment when Ron stubbed his toe only yards from the spot where Snape stood standing guard. Thankfully, Snape sneezed at almost exactly the moment Ron swore. It was with relief that they reached the oak front doors and eased them open.

It was a clear, starry night. They hurried toward the lit windows of Hagrid's house and pulled off the cloak when they were right outside his front door.

Seconds after they had knocked, Hagrid flung it open. They found themselves face to face with him aiming at crossbow at them. Fang the boarhound barked loudly behind him.

"Oh," he said, lowering the weapon and staring at them. "What're you all doin' here?"

"What's that for?" said Harry, pointing at the crossbow as they stepped inside.

"Nothin' – nothin' –" Hagrid muttered. "I've bin expectin' – doesn' matter – Sit down – I'll make tea –"

He hardly seemed to know what he was doing. He nearly extinguished the fire, spilling water from the kettle on it, and then smashed the teapot with a nervous jerk of his massive hand.

"Are you okay, Hagrid?" said Selena. "Did you hear about Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa?"

"Oh, I heard, all righ'," said Hagrid, a slight break in his voice. He turned to Evan. "I'm sorry bout what happened to yer cousin, Evan."

Hagrid kept glancing nervously at the windows. He poured them all large mugs of boiling water (he had forgotten to add tea bags) and was just putting a slab of fruitcake on a plate where there was a loud knock on the door.

Hagrid dropped the fruitcake. Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha exchanged panic stricken looks, then threw the invisibility Cloak back over themselves and retreated into a corner. Hagrid checked that they were hidden, seized his crossbow, and flung open his door once more.

"Good evening, Hagrid."

It was Dumbledore. He entered, looking deadly serious, and was followed by a second, very odd-looking man.

The stranger had rumpled grey hair and an anxious expression and was wearing a strange mixture of clothes: a pinstriped suit, a scarlet tie, a long black cloak, and pointed purple boots. Under his arm he carried a lime green bowler.

"That's Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic!" Evan breathed. Selena elbowed Evan hard to make her shut up.

Hagrid had gone pale and sweaty. He dropped into one of his chairs and looked from Dumbledore to Cornelius Fudge.

"Bad business, Hagrid," said Fudge in rather clipped tones. "Very bad business. Had to come. Six attacks on Muggle-borns and one on a Half-blood. Things've gone far enough. Ministry's got to act."

"I never," said Hagrid, looking imploringly at Dumbledore. "You know I never, Professor Dumbledore, sir –"

"I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence," said Dumbledore, frowning at Fudge.

"Look, Albus," said Fudge, uncomfortably. "Hagrid's records against him. Ministry's got to do something – the school governors have been in touch –"

"Yet again, Cornelius, I tell you that taking Hagrid away will not help in the slightest," said Dumbledore. His blue eyes were full of a fire Harry and Selena had never seen before.

"Look at it from my point of view," said Fudge, fidgeting with his bowler. "I'm under a lot of pressure. Got to be seen to be doing something. If it turns out it wasn't Hagrid, he'll be back and no more said. But I've got to take him. Got to. Wouldn't be doing my duty –"

"Take me?" said Hagrid, who was trembling. "Take me where?"

"For a short stretch only," said Fudge, not meeting Hagrid's eyes. "Not a punishment, Hagrid, more a precaution. If someone else is caught, you'll be let out with a full apology –"

"Not Azkaban?" croaked Hagrid.

Before Fudge could answer, there was another loud rap on the door.

Dumbledore answered it. It was Selena's turn for an elbow in the ribs; she'd let out an audible gasp.

Mr. Lucius Malfoy strode into Hagrid's hut, swathed in a long black traveling cloak, smiling a cold and satisfied smile. Fang started to growl.

"Already here, Fudge," he said approvingly. "Good, good…"

"What're you doin' here?" said Hagrid furiously. "Get outta my house!"

"My dear man, please believe me, I have no pleasure at all being inside your – er – d'you call this a house?" said Lucius Malfoy, sneering as he looked around the small cabin. "I simply called at the school and was told that the headmaster was here."

"And what exactly did you want with me, Lucius?" said Dumbledore. He spoke politely, but the fire was still blazing in his blue eyes.

"Dreadful thing, Dumbledore," said Malfoy lazily, taking out a long roll of parchment, "but the governors feel it's time for you to step aside. This is an Order of Suspension – you'll find all twelve signatures on it. I'm afraid we feel you're losing your touch. How many attacks have there been now? Four students this afternoon, wasn't it? Including an attack on a Half-blood. Vanessa Shadowmend, Michael Shadowmend's niece – yes, but then again, all five Shadowmend brothers are Muggle-borns. You'd never know Michael was a wizard, the way he looks at Muggles." Malfoy finished with a cruel smile, as if he'd made a joke.

Selena noticed that Evan's jaw tightened as Malfoy continued. "Dear me, at this rate there'll be no Muggle-borns left at Hogwarts, and we all know what an awful loss that would be to the school."

"Oh, now, see here, Lucius," said Fudge, looking alarmed, "Dumbledore suspended – no, no – last thing we want just now…"

"The appointment – or suspension – of the headmaster is a matter of the governors, Fudge," said Mr. Malfoy smoothly. "And as Dumbledore has failed to stop these attacks –"

"See here, Malfoy, if Dumbledore can't stop them," said Fudge, whose upper lip was sweating now, "I mean to say, who can?"

"That remains to be seen," said Mr. Malfoy with a nasty smile. "But as all twelve of us have voted –"

Hagrid leapt to his feet, his shaggy black head grazing the ceiling.

"An' how many did yeh have ter threaten an' blackmail before they agreed, Malfoy, eh?" he roared.

"Dear, dear, you know, that temper of yours will lead into trouble one of these days, Hagrid," said Mr. Malfoy. "I would advise you not to shout at the Azkaban guards like that. They won't like it at all."

"Yeh can' take Dumbledore!" yelled Hagrid, making Fang the boarhound cowers and whimper in his basket. "Take him away, an' the Muggle-borns won' stand a chance! There'll be killin' next!"

"Calm yourself, Hagrid," said Dumbledore sharply. He looked at Lucius Malfoy.

"If the governors want my removal, Lucius, I shall of course step aside –"

"But –" stuttered Fudge.

"No!" growled Hagrid.

Dumbledore had not taken his bright blue eyes off Lucius Malfoy's cold grey ones.

"However," said Dumbledore, speaking very slowly and clearly so that none of them could miss a word, "you will find that I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

For a second, Harry and Selena were almost sure that Dumbledore's eyes flickered towards the corner where they, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha were standing hidden under the cloak.

"Admirable sentiments," said Malfoy, bowing. "We shall all miss your – er – highly individual way of running things, Albus, and only hope that your successor will manage to prevent any – ah – killin's."

He strode to the cabin door, opened it and bowed Dumbledore out. Fudge, fiddling with his bowler, waited for Hagrid to go ahead of him, but Hagrid stood his ground, took a deep breath and said carefully, "If anyone wanted ter find out some stuff, all they'd have ter do would be ter follow the spiders. That'd lead 'em right! That's all I'm sayin'."

Fudge stared at him in amazement.

"All right, I'm comin'." said Hagrid, pulling on his moleskin overcoat. But as he was about to follow Fudge through the door, he stopped again and said loudly, "An' someone'll need ter feed Fang while I'm away."

The door banged shut and Selena pulled the invisibility Cloak off.

Evan swore loudly. "I'll _kill_ Malfoy, how dare he speak ill of my Dad."

"We've got bigger problems than Malfoy insulting your family Evan," said Asha hoarsely. "This is bad. Without Dumbledore, there'll be an attack at day."

"They might as well close the school tonight." Ron groaned.

Fang started howling, scratching at the closed door.


	16. Aragog

Summer was creeping over the grounds around the castle; sky and lake alike turned periwinkle blue and flowers large as cabbages burst into bloom in the greenhouses. But with no Hagrid visible from the castle windows, striding the ground with Fang at his heels, the scene didn't look right to Harry and Selena; no better in fact, than the inside of the castle, where things were so horribly wrong.

Evan and Asha still resided in Gryffindor Tower with Selena and Odessa. Professor McGonagall had not objected to them staying until the Petrified students were cured. Evan and Asha found delight in comforting in each other over Vanessa's attack. No one in Gryffindor gave it a second though. It was understandable, Evan had lost her cousin and Asha had lost her best friend.

Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha tried to visit Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa, but visitors were now banned from the hospital wing.

"We're not taking any chances," Madam Pomfrey told them severely through a crack in the infirmary door. "No, I'm sorry, there's every chance the attacker might come back to finish these people off…"

With Dumbledore gone, fear had spread as never before, so that the sun warming the castle walls outside seemed to stop at the mullioned windows. There was barely a face to be seen in the school that didn't look worried and tense, and any laughter that rang through the corridors sounded shrill and unnatural and was quickly stifled.

Harry and Selena constantly repeated Dumbledore's final words to themselves "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me… Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." But what good were these words? Who exactly where they supposed to ask for help, when everyone was just as confused and scared at the next person?

Hagrid's hint about the spiders was far easier to understand – the trouble was, there didn't seem to be a single spider left in the castle to follow. Harry and Selena looked everywhere they went, helped (rather reluctantly) by Ron. Odessa, Evan and Asha kept their eyes peeled for any sign of a cobweb or string of spider silk. They were hampered, of course, by the fact that they weren't allowed to wander off on their own but had to move around the castle in a pack with the other Gryffindors. Most of their fellow students seemed glad that they were being shepherded from class to class by teachers, but Harry and Selena found it very irksome.

Selena had noticed that Draco appeared to be enjoying the atmosphere of terror and suspicion. Though it might have been over the fact Veronica had no power over harassing Selena any chance she got. All Draco had to do was whisper 'boo!' in her ear and Veronica would shriek like a banshee. While it was amusing for the first three weeks of seeing Blackwood look so scared, it soon became clear to Selena that it was turning into bullying, which she – to her surprise, didn't like that much. Selena was one of those few people who didn't wish death upon their enemies, no matter how much they hated them. In Potions class one day, she approached Draco about it.

"Draco, why do you keep scaring Veronica? Don't you think you're going a bit too far?"

Draco gave a strange look. "Selena, I'd have thought you'd've wanted to see Veronica so scared. She bullies you all the time."

"But that's no reason to harass her back. Sticking up for someone and revengeful bullying are too completely different things. To say that a person deserves the pain they get, is a very cruel thing to say about someone."

Draco was shocked. "You're not asking me to stop, are you?"

Selena nodded. "I am. Draco, look at what you're doing. The whole school already on the edge of their seats with Dumbledore gone. I know what Veronica does to me, but she's just as scared and confused as everyone else. She may be a bully, but she's a human too, and humans have feelings. I'd appreciate it if you stop scaring her for now, until things get back to normal."

Draco sighed, knowing that Selena was right. "You're too nice Selena, how is it that you're not in Hufflepuff?"

"The Sorting Hat did say that I'd make Helga Hufflepuff proud with my kindness, but I got sorted into Gryffindor. Anyway, I thought you didn't like the idea of being in Hufflepuff?" she added, giving Draco a rare grin.

Draco laughed as he added beetle eyes to his cauldron. "I think I've changed my view on that house, after I met you."

Selena cleared her throat and asked Draco another question that had been nagging her since Hagrid and Dumbledore had left. "Draco, what do you think about Dumbledore leaving?"

Draco gulped and sighed heavily.

"I think the Muggle-borns should start packing their bags. Perhaps everyone should be, a Half-blood was attacked."

Selena looked away sadly. "Evan and Asha were devastated when we heard the news that Vanessa had been attacked. You've thought that, as a Half-blood, Vanessa would be safe from Slytherin's monster."

"Yeah, I don't understand it" – he scoffed bitterly – "trust my Father to be the one to get rid of Dumbledore," he said, keeping his voice between them. "He always thought Dumbledore was the worst headmaster the schools ever had. Maybe the next one won't let the Chamber of Secret be opened this time."

Selena shook her head. "Draco, Professor Dumbledore has only been suspended by the governors. I'm sure he'll be back in no time."

"You know Blaise was horrified when he heard that Adeline was attacked. Up till now I don't think he realised she was Muggle-born, especially with her hair and eyes. I think he likes her, it's obvious, though he denies it every time we ask him."

Selena giggled, which was rare for someone to do these days. "Can't say I blame him, Adeline's really attractive. I think it's because of her hair and eyes. She's isn't exactly just another face in the crowd, she sticks out like a sore thumb."

"Most of us are quite surprise, I mean, everyone in Slytherin knows how hard Blaise is to please."

The bell rang at that moment and there was a scramble of people leaping off their stools to collect their bags and books.

"Hurry up, I've got to take you all to Herbology," barked Snape over the class's heads, and off they marched, with Harry, Ron, Selena and Odessa bringing up the rear. The Herbology class was very subdued; there were now four missing from their number, Justin, Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa.

Professor Sprout set them all to work pruning the Abyssinian Shrivelfigs. Harry and Selena went to tip an armful of withered stalks onto the compost heap and found themselves face to face with Ernie Macmillian. Selena frowned and said, "Hello, Ernie," in a very bitter tone.

Ernie took a deep breath and said, very formally, "I just want to say, Harry and Selena, that I'm sorry I ever suspected you two. I know you'd never attack Hermione Granger, Adeline Knotley and Vanessa Shadowmend, and I apologize for all the stuff I said. We're all in the same boat now, and, well –" He held out a pudgy hand, and Harry and Selena shook it.

Ernie and his friend Hannah came to work at the same Shrivelfig as Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa and Asha.

"That Draco Malfoy character," said Ernie, breaking off dead twigs, "he seems calmer than everyone else, doesn't he? D'you know, I think he might be Slytherin's heir."

"That's clever of you," said Ron, who didn't seem to have forgiven Ernie as readily as the twins.

"Do you think it's Malfoy, Harry?" Ernie asked.

"No," said Harry, so firmly that Ernie and Hannah stared.

"What about you Selena?" Hannah asked.

"No, I don't care if he's in Slytherin or not, you can never judge a book by its cover." she said in such a mature tone, she sounded like she was slowly turning into Professor McGonagall.

A second later, Asha spotted something.

Several large spiders were scuttling over the ground on the other side of the glass, moving in an unnaturally straight line as though taking the shortest route to a prearranged meeting. Asha gabbed Harry, Ron and Selena with her finger.

"Hey! What're you –"

Asha pointed out the spiders, following their progress with her eyes screwed up against the sun.

"Oh, yeah," said Ron, trying and failing, to look pleased. "But we can't follow them now –"

Ernie and Hannah were listening curiously.

Harry's and Selena's eyes narrowed as they focused on the spiders. If they pursued their fixed course, there could be no doubt about where they would end up.

"Looks like they're heading for the Forbidden Forest…"

And Ron looked even unhappier about that. Same with Odessa and Asha.

At the end of the lesson Professor Sprout escorted the class to their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha lagged behind the other's, so they could talk out of earshot. "We have to use the Invisibility Cloak again," Harry told Ron and the girls. "We can take Fang with us. He's used to going into the forest with Hagrid, he might be some help."

"Right," said Ron, who was twirling his wand nervously in his fingers. "Er – aren't there – aren't there supposed to be werewolves in the forest? he added as they took their usual places at the back of Lockhart's classroom.

Preferring not to answer that question, Selena said, "There are good things in there, too. The centaurs are all right, and the unicorns…"

Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha had never been into the Forbidden Forest before. Harry and Selena had only entered once and had hoped they'd never have to do so again.

Lockhart bounded into the room and the class stared at him. Every other teacher in the place was looking grimmer than usual, but Lockhart appeared nothing short of buoyant.

"Come now," he cried, beaming around him. "Why all these long faces?"

People swapped exasperated looks, but nobody answered.

"Don't you people realize," said Lockhart, speaking slowly, as though they were all a bit dim, "the danger has passed! The culprit has been taken away –"

"Says who?" said Dean Thomas loudly.

"My dear young man, the Minister of Magic wouldn't have taken Hagrid if he hadn't been one hundred percent sure he was guilty," said Lockhart, in the tone of someone explaining that one and one made two.

"Oh, yes he would," said Ron and Evan, even more loudly than Dean.

"I flatter myself I know a touch more about Hagrid's arrest than you two do, Mr. Weasley, Miss Barkridge-Shadowmend." said Lockhart in a self-satisfied tone.

Ron started to say that he didn't think so, somehow, but stopped in mid-sentence when Harry kicked him hard under the desk.

"We weren't there, remember, neither of you were." Harry muttered.

But Lockhart's disgusting cheeriness, his hints that he had always thought Hagrid was no good, his confidence that the whole business was now at an end, irritated Harry and Selena so much they yearned to throw Gadding with Ghouls right in Lockhart's stupid face. Instead they contented themselves with scrawling notes for Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha. Each note read the same thing: Let's do it tonight.

Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha read the messages, swallowed hard, and looked sideways at the empty seat usually seats by Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa. The sight seemed to stiffen their resolves, and one by one they nodded.

The Gryffindor common room was always very crowded these days, because from six o'clock onward the Gryffindors (and the guest Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff) had nowhere else to go. They also had plenty to talk about, with the result that the common room often didn't empty until past midnight.

Harry went to get the Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk right after dinner, and spent the evening sitting on it, waiting for the room to clear. Fred and George challenged Harry and Ron to a few games of Exploding Snap, and Ginny sat watching them, very subdued in Hermione's usual chair.

The girls tried to act as normal as possible, taking turns in reading from _The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe_ by the fire.

Harry and Ron kept losing on purpose, trying to finish the games quickly, but even so, it was well past midnight when Fred, George and Ginny finally went to bed.

Evan breathed a sigh of relief as the distant sounds of two dormitory doors closing met their ears. "Finally," she whispered, getting up from her seat. "I thought they'd never leave."

Selena closed the book and set it down on the table by the lamp, and they all gathered in a circle. Harry seized the cloak and threw it over all them, and they climbed through the portrait hole.

It was another difficult journey through the castle, dodging all the teachers. At last they reached the entrance hall, slid back the lock of the oak front doors, squeezed between them, trying to stop any creaking, and stepped out into the moonlit grounds.

"'Course," said Ron abruptly as they strode across the black grass, "we might get to the forest and find there's nothing to follow. Those spiders might not've been going there at all. I know it looked like they were moving in a sort of general direction, but…" His voice trailed away hopefully.

They reached Hagrid's house, sad and sorry looking with its blank windows. When Harry pushed the door open, Fang went with joy at the sight of them. Worried he might wake everyone at the castle with his deep, booming barks, they hastily fed him treacle fudge from a tin on the mantelpiece, which glued his teeth together. Harry left the Invisibility Cloak on Hagrid's table. There would be no need for it in the pitch-dark forest.

"C'mon, Fang, we're going for a walk," said Selena, patting her leg, and Fang bounded happily out of the house behind them, dashed to the edge of the forest, and lifted his leg against a large sycamore tree.

Harry took out his wand, murmured, "Lumos!" and a tiny light appeared at the end of it, just enough to let them watch the path for signs of spiders.

"Great idea Harry," said Odessa, taking out her wand. "We'll all light ours, too, but you know – Ron's probably blow up or something…"

Ron frowned at the blonde girl, but sighed and said, "Good point," and stuffed his wand back into his pocket.

Selena, Evan, Odessa and Asha all brought out their wands and muttered the same spell as Harry did. The lights from their wands looked like tiny stars in the dark.

Harry cleared his throat for everyone's attention, pointing at the grass. Two solitary spiders were hurrying away from the wand light into the shade of the trees.

"Okay," Ron sighed as though resigned to the worst, "I'm ready. You girls ready?"

"Ready," they said.

"Let's go," said Harry, leading the way.

So, with Fang scampering around them, sniffing tree roots and leaves, they entered the forest. By the glow from their wands, they followed the steady trail of spiders moving along the path. They walked behind them for about twenty minutes, not speaking, listening hard for noises other than breaking twigs and rustling leaves. Then, when the trees had become thicker than ever, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible, and the glows from the wands shone together in the sea of dark, they saw their spider guides leaving the path.

Harry and Selena paused, trying to see where the spiders were going, but everything outside the sphere of light was pitch black. They had never been this deep into the forest before. Harry could vividly remember Hagrid advising him not to leave the forest path last time they'd been in here. But Hagrid was miles away now, probably sitting in a cell in Azkaban, and he had also said to follow the spiders.

Something wet touched Harry's hand and he jumped backward, crushing Ron's foot, but it was only Fang's nose.

Selena turned to the rest of the group. "What d'you guys reckon?" she said. Ron's eyes were reflecting the light from their wands. "Should we continue?"

"We've come this far," said Ron.

Odessa, Evan and Asha all nodded in agreement.

So they followed the darting shadows of the spiders into the trees. They couldn't move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near blackness. Harry could feel Fang's hot breath on his hand. More than once, they had to stop, so that either Harry or Selena could crouch down and find the spiders in the wand light.

They walked for what seemed like half an hour, thought it was most likely only ten or fifteen minutes, their robes snagging on low slung branches and brambles. After a while, they noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.

Then Fang suddenly let loose a great, echoing bark, making them all jump out of their skins.

"What?" said Ron loudly, looking around into the pitch dark, and gripping Harry's elbow very hard.

"There's something moving over there," Harry breathed. "Listen… sounds like something big…"

They listened. Some distance to their right, the something big was snapping branches as it carved a path through the trees. They all muttered the counter spell and the lights from their wands disappeared, plunging them into pitch dark.

Odessa let out a squeal of terror. Selena quickly covered her mouth with her other hand, her eyes wider than saucers.

"Oh, no," said Ron. "Oh, no, oh, no, oh –"

"Shut up," said Evan frantically. "It'll hear you."

"Hear me?" said Ron in an unnaturally high voice. "It's already heard Fang!"

The darkness seemed to be pressing on their eyeballs as they stood, terrified, waiting. There was the sound of leaves and twigs crushing and then silence.

"What d'you think it's doing?" said Harry.

"Probably getting ready to pounce," said Ron.

"Don't say that!" Asha hissed.

They waited, shivering, hardly daring to move.

"I think it's gone now," said Selena removing her hand from Odessa's mouth and looking around the ground.

She cursed under her breath. "We've lost the trail. C'mon, let's go and find them."

"Good idea," said Harry, "guys come on – guys?"

Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha didn't speak. They didn't move. His eyes were fixed on a point some ten feet above the forest floor, right behind the twins. Their faces livid with terror.

"What're you –" Selena asked, but neither she nor Harry had time to turn around. There was a loud clicking noise and suddenly they felt something long and hairy seize them around the middle and lift them off the ground, so they were hanging facedown. Struggling, terrified, they heard more clicking, and saw Ron's, Odessa's, Evan's and Asha's legs leave the ground, too, heard Fang whimpering and howling – next moment, they were being swept away into the dark trees.

Heads hanging, Harry and Selena saw that what had told of them were marching on six immensely long, hairy legs, the front two clutching them tightly below a pair of shining black pincers. Behind them, they could hear more of the creatures, no doubt carrying Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha. They were moving into the very heart of the forest. Harry and Selena could hear Fang fighting to free himself from a seventh monster, whining loudly, but neither Harry or Selena could've yelled even if they wanted to.

They never knew how long they were in the creature's clutches; they only knew that the darkness suddenly lifted enough for them to see that the leaf strewn ground was now swarming with spiders. Craning their necks sideways, they realized that they had reached the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees, so that the stars shone brightly onto the worst scene they had ever laid eyes on.

Spiders. Not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below. Spiders the size of carthorses, eight eyed, eight legged, black, hairy, gigantic. The two massive specimens that were carrying Harry and Selena made their way down the steep slope toward a misty, domed web on the very centre of the hollow, while its fellows closed in all around it, clicking their pincers excitedly at the sight of its load.

Harry and Selena fell to the ground on all fours as the spider released them. Ron, Odessa, Evan, Asha and Fang thudded down next to them. Fang wasn't howling anymore but cowering silently on the spot. Ron looked exactly like Harry and Selena felt. His mouth was stretched wide in a kind of silent scream and his eyes were popping. Asha and Odessa looked like they had both seen death, they were whimpering, and tears were streaming down their faces. Evan was shaking all over.

Harry suddenly realized that the spider that had dropped him was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.

"Aragog!" it called. "Aragog!"

And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was grey in the black of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind.

"What is it?" he said, clicking his pincers rapidly.

"Men and women," clicked the spider who had caught Selena.

"Is Hagrid with them?" said Aragog, moving closer, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.

"Strangers," clicked the spider who had brought Ron.

"Kill them," clicked Aragog fretfully. "I was sleeping…"

Selena found her voice. "No, don't! We're friends of Hagrid's," she shouted. Her heart seemed to have left her chest to pound in her throat.

Click, click, click went the pincers of the spiders all around the hollow.

Aragog paused.

"Hagrid has never sent men and women into our hollow before," he said slowly.

"Hagrid's in trouble," said Harry, breathing very fast. "That's why we've come."

"In trouble?" said the aged spider, and Harry thought he heard concern beneath the clicking pincers. "But why has he sent you?"

Harry thought about getting to his feet but decided against it; he didn't think his legs would support him. So he spoke from the ground, as calmly as he could.

"They think, up at the school, that Hagrid's been setting a – a – something on students."

"They've taken him to Azkaban." added Selena.

Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like applause, except applause didn't usually make Harry and Selena feel sick with fear.

"But that was years ago," said Aragog fretfully. "Years and years ago. I remember it well. That's why they made him leave the school. They believed that I was the monster that dwells in what they called the Chamber of Secrets. They thought that Hagrid had opened the Chamber and set me free."

"So you're not the monster?" said Selena, who could feel cold sweat on her forehead.

"I!" said Aragog, clicking angrily. "No, the monster was born in the castle. I came here from a distant land. A traveller gave me to Hagrid when I was an egg. Hagrid was only a boy, but he cared for me, hidden in a cupboard in the castle, feeding me on scraps from the table. Hagrid is my good friend, and a good man. When I was discovered, and blamed for the death of a girl, he protected me. I have lived here in the forest ever since, where Hagrid still visits me. He even found me a wife, Mosag, and you see how our family has grown, all through Hagrid's goodness…" Harry summoned what remained of his courage.

"So you never – never attacked anyone?"

"Never," croaked the old spider. "It would have been my instinct, but out of respect for Hagrid, I never harmed a human. The girl's body was discovered in a bathroom. I never saw any part of the castle but the cupboard in which I grew up. Our kind like the dark and the quiet…"

"But then… Do you know what killed that girl?" said Harry. "Because whatever it is, it's back and attacking people again –"

His words were drowned by a loud outbreak of clicking and the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily; large black shapes shifted all around them.

"The thing that lives in the castle," said Aragog, "is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others. Well I do remember how I pleaded with Hagrid to let me go, when I sensed the beat moving about the school."

"What is it?" said Harry and Selena urgently.

More loud clicking, more rustling; the spiders seemed to be closing in.

"We do not speak of it!" said Aragog fiercely. "We do not name it! I never even told Hagrid the name of that dreadful creature, though he asked me, many times."

Harry and Selena didn't want to press the subject, not with the spiders pressing closer on all sides. Aragog seemed to be tired of talking. He was backing slowly into his domed web, but his fellow spiders continued to inch slowly toward Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha.

"Right then," Selena called desperately to Aragog, hearing leaves rustling behind them, "we'll just go, then."

"Go?" said Aragog slowly. "I think not…"

"But – but –"

"My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on my command. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Good bye, friends of Hagrid's."

They all bolted up onto shaking legs. They were surrounded from all sides by a solid wall of spiders the size of bison, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly black heads.

Immediately they all reached for their wands. "Anyone know any spells?" Ron whimpered.

"One, but it's not powerful enough for all of them." said Harry.

"Hermione, where are you when we need you?" Ron groaned.

They all screamed as a spider pounced at Ron, fangs exposed and ready to strike, when an invisible force threw it 200 feet into a towering tree, impaling it on an outstretched branch. The spiders started clicking wildly, sounding shocked and angry. Several more spiders pounced, but something seemed to be stopping them from attacking. Each time a spider attempted to strike, it was thrown back far away at full force. They all turned and saw Selena with a green fire in her eyes, waving her hands in the direction where the spiders were attacking from.

"Brilliant Selena!" cried Evan.

"Don't celebrate yet, there's too many of them and only one of me. Make yourselves useful and help me out!"

Evan and Asha bellowed out the first spell that came to mind. "Expelliarmus!" they shouted. Two beams of scarlet light shot out of their wands and blasted several spiders backwards into the trees, but they still kept coming and Selena was getting exhausted. She wasn't going down without a fight. She was either going to protect her friends and brother or die trying.

But just as when they were at the point of giving up and excepting death, a loud, long horn sounded, and a blaze of light flamed through the hollow.

Mr. Weasley's car was thundering down the slope, headlights glaring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. It appeared that it's time in the forest had turned it wild. Its body was scratched and covered with mud, with twigs and leaves stuck under the windshield wipers. The car screeched to a halt in front of the group and the doors flew open.

"Get in and get Fang!" Harry yelled, diving into the front seat with Selena; Ron seized the boarhound around the middle and threw him, yelping into the back of the car. Odessa, Evan and Asha scrambled into the back seat with Fang – the doors slammed shut – Ron didn't need to touch the accelerator as the engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders. They sped up the slope, out of the hollow, and they were soon crashing through the forest, branches whipping the windows as the car wound its way cleverly through the widest gaps, following a path it obviously knew.

Selena was clinging to Harry as if her life depended on it. Ron's mouth was still open in the silent scream, but his eyes weren't popping anymore. Evan, Odessa and Asha were huddled up in the back with Fang laying across their laps. They were all whimpering and stammered, and Odessa's glasses were hanging lopsided on her face.

"Is everyone okay?" Harry asked. Ron stared straight ahead, unable to speak.

"Define 'okay'…." said Selena in a shaky voice.

They smashed their way through the undergrowth, Fang howling loudly in the back seat, and Harry saw the side mirror snap off as they squeezed past a large oak. After ten noisy, rocky minutes, the trees thinned, and Harry could see patches of the sky.

The car stopped so suddenly that they were nearly thrown foreword. They had reached the edge of the forest. Fang flung himself at the window in his anxiety to get out, and when Evan opened the door, he shot off through the trees to Hagrid's house, tail between his legs. Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha got out too, and after a minute or so, Ron seemed to regain the feeling in his limbs and followed, still stiff necked and staring. Harry gave the car a grateful pat as it reversed back into the forest and disappeared from view.

Harry, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha went back into Hagrid's cabin to get the invisibility Cloak. Fang was trembling under a blanket in his basket. When they got outside again, they found Ron being violently sick in the pumpkin patch.

"Follow the spiders," said Ron weakly, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets outta Azkaban, I'll kill em."

"Never gonna forgive him for that," Asha whimpered. "I'm never going near spiders again, and that includes the dead one we use in Potions."

"We're lucky that car saved our necks." said Evan, removing her robes and giving them a violent shake as if to remove any spiders that had hitched a ride.

"Was that the car you drove to Hogwarts in?" Odessa asked, looking pale and sickly.

Harry, Ron and Selena all nodded.

"Been wondering where it was and now I know." said Ron, looking at the dark clutch of trees.

"What was the point of sending us in there," he said, turning to the twins. "What have we found out?"

Harry and Selena looked at each other. "We know one thing, Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets," said Harry, throwing the cloak over Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha, prodding them to make them walk.

"He was innocent." said Selena.

Ron gave a loud snort. Evidently, hatching Aragog in a cupboard wasn't his idea of being innocent.

As the castle loomed nearer Harry twitched the cloak to make sue their feet were hidden, then pushed the creaking front doors ajar. They walked carefully back across the entrance hall and up the marble staircase, holding their breaths as they passed corridors where watchful sentries were walking. At last they reached the safety of the Gryffindor common room, where the fire had burned itself into glowing ash. They took off the cloak and climbed the winding stair to the dormitories.

Ron fell onto his bed without bothering to get undressed while the girls had already made their dormitory bathroom their own by taking the longest showers of their lives. Harry on the other hand didn't feel like doing either of those things. He sat on his four-poster, thinking hard about everything Aragog had said.

Selena also gave that some thought as she washed her hair for the third time in a row. The creature that was lurking somewhere in the castle, she thought, sounded like a sort of monster Voldemort – even other monsters didn't want to name it. But she, Harry, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha were no closer to finding out what it was, or how it Petrified its victims. Even Hagrid had never known what was in the Chamber of Secrets.

Selena exited the shower stall wearing a scarlet towel around her body and drying her hair with a canary yellow one. Evan, Odessa and Asha were already changing into their pyjamas, hair still wet and hanging in messy, stringy ropes. None of them spoke a word to each other.

She couldn't see what else they could do. They had hit dead ends everywhere. Riddle had caught the wrong person, the Heir of Slytherin had got off, and no one could tell whether it was the same person, or a different one, who had opened the Chamber this time. There was nobody else to ask. Selena pulled on her polka-dot pyjamas, still thinking about what Aragog had said.

Suddenly she had an epiphany. "Girls, I've just had a thought. Come on, we need to tell the boys."

Odessa, Evan and Asha groaned, but followed her to the boys dormitory.

"Harry, Ron," she hissed through the dark, "guys –"

Ron woke with a yelp like Fang's and Harry turned around to Selena, standing in the doorway.

"Guys – that girl who died. Aragog said she was found in a bathroom," said Selena, ignoring Neville's snuffling snores from the corner. "What if she never left the bathroom? What if she's still there?"

Ron rubbed his eyes, frowning through the moonlight. Harry gave her an odd look. And then they both understood.

"You don't think – not Moaning Myrtle?"

* * *

 **Forbidden Forest? Maybe they should change the name to The Forest of NOPE!**


	17. The Heir of Slytherin

"All those times we were in that bathroom, and she was just three toilets away," said Ron bitterly at breakfast next day, "and we could've asked her, and now…"

It had been hard enough trying to look for spiders. Escaping their teacher long enough to sneak into a girls' bathroom, the girls' bathroom, moreover, right next to the scene of the first attack, was going to be almost impossible.

But something happened in their first lesson, Transfiguration, that drove the Chamber of Secrets out of their minds for the first time in weeks. Ten minutes into the class, Professor McGonagall told them that their exams would start on the first of June, one week from today.

"Exams?" howled Seamus Finnigan. "We're still getting exams?"

There was a loud bang behind Harry and Selena as Neville Longbottom's wand slipped, vanishing one of the legs on his desk. Professor McGonagall restored it with a wave of her own wand, and turned, frowning, to Seamus.

"The whole point of keeping the school open at this time is for you to receive your education," she said sternly. "The exams will therefore take place as usual, and I trust you are all studying hard."

Studying hard! It had never occurred to Harry and Selena that there would be exams with the castle in this state, but Professor McGonagall had just proven them wrong. There was a great deal of mutinous muttering around the room, which made Professor McGonagall scowl even more darkly.

"Professor Dumbledore's instructions were to keep the school running as normally as possible," she said. "And that, I need hardly point out, means finding out how much you have learned this year."

Harry and Selena looked down at the two pairs of white rabbits they was supposed to be turning into slippers. What had they learned so far this year? They couldn't seem to think of anything that would be useful in an exam.

Ron looked as though he'd just been told he had to go and live in the Forbidden Forest and Odessa was throwing herself a pity party, head slumped in her arms on the desk.

"Can you imagine me taking exams with this?" Ron asked Harry, holding up his wand, which had just started whistling loudly.

Three days before their first exam, Professor McGonagall made another announcement at breakfast.

"I have good news," she said, and the Great Hall, instead of falling silent, erupted.

"Dumbledore's coming back!" several people yelled joyfully.

"You've caught the Heir of Slytherin!" squealed Veronica Blackwood.

"Quidditch matches are back on!" roared Wood excitedly.

When the hubbub had subsided, Professor McGonagall said, "Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes are ready for cutting at last. Tonight, we will be able to revive those poor people who have been Petrified. I need hardly remind you all that one of them may well be able to tell us who, or what, attacked them. I am hopeful that this dreadful year will end with our catching the culprit."

There was an explosion of cheering. Harry looked over at the Slytherin table and was surprised to see that Draco Malfoy had also joined in. Ron was looking happier than he'd looked in days.

"Well there you have it, it won't matter if we never ask Myrtle, then!" he said to Harry and Selena. "Hermione'll probably have all the answers when they wake her up. And if she has no memory, there's still Adeline and Vanessa. Mind you, Hermione'll go crazy when she finds out we've got exams in three days' time. She hasn't studied. It might be kinder to leave her where she is till they're over."

Just then, Ginny Weasley came over and sat down next to Ron. She looked tense and nervous, and the twins noticed that her hands were twisting in her lap.

"Ginny, are you okay? What's the matter?" Selena asked concerned.

Ginny didn't say anything but glanced up and down the Gryffindor table with a scared look on her face that reminded Harry and Selena of someone, though neither could think who.

"Spit it out," said Ron, watching her.

Harry and Selena suddenly realized who Ginny looked like. She was rocking backward and forward slightly in her chair, exactly like Dobby did when he was teetering on the edge of revealing forbidden information.

"I've got to tell you something," Ginny mumbled, carefully not looking at Harry.

"What?" said Ron.

Ginny opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Selena leaned forward and spoke quietly, so that Ginny, Harry and Ron could hear her.

"Is it something about the Chamber of Secrets? Have you seen something? Someone acting oddly?"

Ginny drew a deep breath, and, at that precise moment, Percy Weasley appeared, looking tired and wan.

"If you've finished eating, I'll take that seat, Ginny. I'm starving, I've only just come off patrol duty."

Ginny jumped up as though her chair had just been electrified, gave Percy a fleeting, frightened look, and scampered away. Percy sat down and grabbed a mug from the centre of the table.

"Percy!" said Ron angrily. "She was just about to tell us something important!"

Halfway through a gulp of tea, Percy choked.

"What sort of thing?" he said, coughing.

"I just asked her if she'd seen anything odd, and she started to say –"

"Oh – that – that's nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets," said Percy at once.

"How do you know?" said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, er, if you must know, Ginny, er, walked in on me the other day when I was – well, never mind – the point is, she spotted me doing something and I, um, I asked her not to mention it to anybody. I must say, I didn't think she'd keep her word. It's nothing, really, I'd just rather –"

Harry and Selena had never seen Percy look so uncomfortable.

"What were you doing, Percy?" said Ron, grinning. "Go on, tell us, we won't laugh." Percy didn't smile back.

"Pass me those rolls, Harry, I'm starving."

Harry and Selena knew that the whole mystery might be solved tomorrow without their help, but they weren't about to pass up a chance to speak to Myrtle if it turned up – and to their delight it did, mid-morning, when they were being led to History of Magic by Gilderoy Lockhart.

Lockhart, who had so often assured them that all danger had passed, only to be proved wrong right away, was now wholeheartedly convinced that it was hardly worth the trouble to see them safety down the corridors. His hair wasn't as sleek as usual; it seemed he had been up most of the night, patrolling the fourth floor.

"Mark my words," he said, ushering them around a corner. "The first words out of those poor Petrified people's mouths will be 'It was Hagrid,' Frankly, I'm astounded Professor McGonagall thinks all these security measures are necessary."

"I agree, sir," said Harry, making Ron, Selena, Odessa and Evan drop their books in surprise.

"Thank you, Harry," said Lockhart graciously while they waited for a long line of Hufflepuffs to pass. "I mean, we teachers have quite enough to be getting on with, without walking students to classes and standing guard all night…"

"That's right," said Selena, catching on. "Why don't you leave us here, sir, we've only got one more corridor to go –"

"You know, Selena, I think I will," said Lockhart. "I really should go and prepare my next class –"

And he hurried off.

"Prepare his class," Ron sneered after them. "Gone to curl his hair, more like."

"Couldn't agree more," said a voice. They all jumped and whirled around, only to see Asha stepping out from behind a nearby statue. "Slipped away from the Hufflepuffs, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation. Are you guys going to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom?" she said in a hushed whisper.

"Yes, but bloody hell Asha, you scared me." said Ron.

Evan was smiling wide at the Hufflepuff Chaser. "You, sneaky little genius, you."

They let the rest of the Gryffindors draw ahead of them, then darted down a side passage and hurried off toward Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. But just as they were congratulating each other on their brilliant scheme –

"Excuse me! What are you all doing?"

It was Professor McGonagall, and her mouth was the thinnest of thin lines.

"We were – we were –" Ron stammered. "We were going to – to go and see –"

"Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa," said Harry. Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan, Asha and Professor McGonagall all looked at him.

"We haven't seen them for ages, Professor," Harry went on hurriedly, treading on Selena's foot, "and we thought we'd sneak into the hospital wing, you know, and tell them the Mandrakes are nearly ready and, er, not to worry –"

Professor McGonagall was still staring at them, and for a moment, Harry was sure she was going to explode, but when she spoke, it was in a strangely croaky voice.

"Of course," she said, and Harry, amazed, saw a tear glistening in her beady eye. "Of course, I realize this has all been the hardest on the friends and family of those who have been… I quite understand. Yes, Potter, of course you may visit Miss Granger, Miss Knotley and Miss Shadowmend. Evan, I can't even imagine what you must be going through right now. I will inform Professor Binns where you've gone. Tell Madam Pomfrey I have given you all my permission."

Somehow, Professor McGonagall hadn't noticed Asha standing with them. They all walked away, hardly daring to believe that they'd avoided detention. As they turned the corner, they distinctly heard Professor McGonagall blow her nose.

"That," said Ron fervently, "was the best story you've ever come up with."

They had no choice but to go to the hospital wing and tell Madam Pomfrey that they had Professor McGonagall's permission to visit Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa.

Madam Pomfrey let them in, but reluctantly.

"There's just no point in talking to a Petrified person," she said, and they had to admit she had a point when they'd taken their seat next to the three girls. It was plain and simple that neither Hermione, Adeline or Vanessa had the faintest inkling that they had visitors, and they might as well tell their bedside cabinets not to worry for all the good it would do.

"Wonder if they did see the attacker, though?" said Ron, looking at Hermione's rigid face. "Because if he or she snuck up on them all, no one'll ever know…"

"Hey… what's that in Hermione's hand?" said Selena pointing at Hermione's right hand. It lay clenched on top of her blankets, and bending closer, she saw that a piece of paper was scrunched inside her fist. Checking that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight, she beckoned them over.

Soon, they were all crowded around Hermione's bed. "Go on and get it out," Ron whispered, checking over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone.

It was no easy task. Hermione's hand was clamped so tightly around the paper that Selena was sure she was going to tear it. While Ron, Harry, Odessa, Evan and Asha took turns keeping watch, she tugged and twisted, and at last, with some help from telekinesis, the paper came free.

It was a page torn from a very old library book. Harry took it off her and smoothed it out eagerly and Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha leaned close to read it, too.

Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the roost, which is fatal to it.

And beneath this, a single word had been written, in a hand Harry and Selena recognized as Hermione's. Pipes.

It was as though somebody had just flicked a light on in their brains.

"Guys," Harry breathed. "This is it. This is the answer. The monster in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk – a giant serpent! That's why Selena and I've been hearing that voice all over the place, and nobody else has heard it. it's because we're both Parseltongues…"

Odessa bit her lip. "But if it kills by looking people in the eye, why is it that no one's dead?"

Selena turned her head to look at the beds around them.

"That's because no one did look it in the eye. Colin saw it through his camera, the basilisk burned up all the film inside it, but Colin just got Petrified. Justin… Justin must've seen the basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick! Nick got the full blast of it, but Nick's a ghost, he can't die again… and Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa were found with Penelope Clearwater with a mirror next to them. Hermione and Adeline must've been on the same page, they were talking with each other under their breaths before the Quidditch Match. They must've just figured out the monster was a basilisk. Vanessa was only with them because she wanted to know what had them all worked up. Bet you anything when they were on their way to tell us, but warned the first person they came across to look around corners with a mirror first, which happened to be Penelope! And then Penelope pulled out her mirror – and – "

Ron's jaw had dropped.

"What about Mrs. Norris, I don't think she had a camera or a mirror." said Evan.

Selena thought hard, picturing the scene on the night of Halloween.

"The water…" she said slowly. "The flood from Myrtle's bathroom. Mrs. Norris only the basilisk's reflection…"

"Brilliant Selena," said Harry eagerly scanning the page. The more he looked at it, the more it made sense.

"…The crowing of the rooster… is fatal to it!" he read aloud. "Hagrid's roosters were killed! The Heir of Slytherin didn't want one anywhere near castle once the Chamber was opened! 'Spiders flee before it' It all fits!"

"But how's the basilisk been getting around?" said Ron. "A dirty great snake… Someone would've seen…"

Selena, however, pointed at the word Hermione had scribbled at the foot of the page.

"Pipes," she said. "Pipes… Ron, it's been using the plumping. Harry and I've been hearing the voice inside the walls…"

Odessa gulped.

Asha turned a pale grey like old porridge.

Ron suddenly grabbed Harry's arm.

"The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets!" he said hoarsely. "What if it's a bathroom? What if it's in –"

"Myrtle's bathroom," said Selena.

They stood there, excitement coursing through them, hardly able to believe it.

"This means," said Harry, "Selena and I can't be the only Parselmouths in the school. The Heir of Slytherin's one, too. That's how he's been controlling the basilisk."

Ron turned to Selena. "Selena, do you know how Myrtle died?"

Selena made a face like she had just swallowed live eels. "No, I never asked."

"Why not?"

Selena stared at him like he was the weirdest creature on earth. "Ron, she's dead. You don't just walk up to a ghost and ask them how they died? It might be personal."

Ron slowly nodded his head, feeling dumb. "Fair point."

"What're we going to do about the basilisk?" said Evan, whose eyes were flashing. "Should we tell McGonagall?"

"Let's go to the staff room," said Harry, jumping up. "She'll be there in ten minutes. It's nearly break."

They all ran downstairs. Not wanting to be discovered hanging around in another corridor, they went straight into the deserted staff room. It was a large, panelled room full of dark, wooden chairs. Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha paced around it, too excited or frightened to sit down.

But the bell to signal break never came.

Instead, echoing through the corridors came Professor McGonagall's voice, magically magnified.

"All students to return to their House dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately, please."

Odessa pressed a hand to her forehead. "Not another attack? Not now?"

"What'll we do?" said Ron, aghast. "Go back to the dormitory?"

"No," said Selena, glancing around. There was a large and sort of ugly wardrobe to her left, full of teachers' cloaks. "In there. Let's hear what it's all about. Then we can tell them what we've found out."

They hid themselves inside it, listening to the rumbling of hundreds of people moving overhead, and the staff room banging open. From between the musty folds of the cloaks, they watched the teachers filtering into the room. Some of them were looking puzzled, others downright scared. Then Professor McGonagall arrived.

"It has happened," she told the silent staff room. "A student has been taken by the monster. Right into the Chamber itself."

Professor Flitwick let out a squeal. Professor Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth. Snape gripped the back of a chair very hard and said, "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin," said Professor McGonagall, who was very white, "left another message. Right underneath the first one. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"

Professor Flitwick burst into tears.

"Who is it?" said Madam Hooch, who had sunk, weak kneed, into a chair. "Which student?"

"Ginny Weasley," said Professor McGonagall.

Selena's felt her stomach drop. Behind her, she felt Ron slide silently down onto the wardrobe floor beside Harry.

"We shall have to send all the students home tomorrow," said Professor McGonagall. "This is the end of Hogwarts. Dumbledore always said…"

The staff room door banged open again. For one wild moment, Harry and Selena was sure it would be Dumbledore. But it was Lockhart, and he was beaming.

"So sorry – dozed off – what have I missed?"

He didn't seem to notice that the other teachers were looking at him with something remarkably like hatred. Snape stepped forward.

"Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment has come at last."

Lockhart blanched.

"That's right, Gilderoy," chipped in Professor Sprout. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?"

"I – well, I –" sputtered Lockhart.

"Yes, didn't you tell me you were sure you knew what was inside it?" piped up Professor Flitwick.

"D-did I? I don't recall –"

"I certainly remember you saying you were sorry you hadn't had the monster before Hagrid was arrested," said Snape. "Didn't you say the whole affair had been bungled, and that you should have been given a free rein from the first?"

Lockhart stared around at his stony face colleagues.

"I – I really never – you may have misunderstood –"

"We'll leave it to you, then, Gilderoy," said Professor McGonagall. "Tonight will be excellent time to do it. We'll make sure everyone's out of your way. You'll be able to tackle the monster all by yourself. A free rein at last."

Lockhart gazed desperately around him, but nobody came to the rescue. He didn't look remotely handsome anymore. His lip was trembling, and in the absence of his usually toothy grin, he looked weak chinned and feeble.

"V-very well," he said. "I'll – I'll be in my office, getting – getting ready."

And he left the room.

"Right," said Professor McGonagall, whose nostrils were flared, "that's got him out under our feet. The Heads of Houses should go and inform their students what has happened. Tell them the Hogwarts Express will take them home first thing tomorrow. Will the rest of you please make sure no students have been left outside their dormitories? I must write to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to inform them of what has happened to their daughter."

The teachers rose and left, one by one.

The probably the worst day of the twin's entire lives. They, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha exited the wardrobe, looking like Professor McGonagall must've felt.

"She knew something, guys," said Ron, speaking at last. "That's why she was taken. It wasn't some stupid thing about Percy at all. She'd found out something about the Chamber of Secrets. That must be why she was –" Ron rubbed his eyes frantically. "I mean, she was a pureblood. There can't be any reason."

"What are going to do now?" Odessa asked.

Harry and Selena looked at each other with the same expression. This was the worst they had ever felt. If only there was something they could do. Anything.

"Harry, Selena," said Ron. "D'you two think there's any chance at all she's not – you know –"

Harry and Selena didn't know what to say. Neither of them could see how little Ginny could still be alive.

"I got an idea," said Asha. "I think we should go and see Lockhart. Tell him what we know. He's going to try and get into the Chamber. We can tell where we think it is and tell him it's a basilisk in there."

Because no one else could think of anything else better to do, and because they all wanted to be doing something, they all agreed. "Come on, if we hurry, we can catch him before he leaves!" said Selena as they exited the staffroom.

* * *

Darkness was falling as they walked down to Lockhart's office. There seemed to be a lot activity going on inside it. They could hear scraping, thumps, and hurried footsteps.

Harry knocked and there was a sudden silence from inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering through it.

"Ah – Mr. Potter, Miss Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Digby, Miss Grail, Miss Barkridge-Shadowmend –" he said, opening the door a bit wider. "I'm rather busy at the moment – if you would be quick –"

"Professor, we've got some information for you," said Harry. "We think it'll help you."

"Er – well – it's not terribly –" The side of Lockhart's face that they could see looked very uncomfortable. "I mean – well all right –"

He opened the door and they entered.

His office had been almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. Robes, jade green, lilac, midnight blue, had been hastily folded into one of them; books were jumbled untidily into the other. The photographs that had covered the walls were now crammed into boxes on the desk.

"What is all this?" said Evan in a rather high-pitched tone, like a disapproving grandmother.

"Are you going somewhere?" said Harry.

"Er, well, yes," said Lockhart, ripping a life size poster of himself from the back of the door as they spoke and starting to roll it up. "Urgent call – unavoidable – got to go –"

"What about my sister?" said Ron angrily.

"And my cousin?" Evan added at the same high pitch volume as before.

"Well, as to that – most unfortunate –" said Lockhart, avoiding their eyes as he wrenched open a drawer and started emptying the contents into a bag. "No one regrets more than I _"

"You're the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!" said Harry. "You can't go now! Not will all the Dark Stuff going on here!"

"Well – I must say – when I took the job –" Lockhart muttered, now piling socks on top of his robes. "nothing in job description – didn't expect –"

"You mean you're just gonna run away and act like nothing happened?" said Selena disbelievingly.

"After all that stuff you did in your books!" shouted Asha, glaring at Lockhart.

"Books can be misleading," said Lockhart delicately.

"You wrote them!" Odessa shouted.

"My dear children," said Lockhart, straightening up and frowning at them. "Do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on –"

"So that's it," growled Odessa, "you're a fraud. You've just been taking credit from what a load of other people have done?"

"Children, children," said Lockhart, shaking his head impatiently, "it's not nearly as simple as that. There was work involved. I had to track these people down. Ask them exactly how they managed to do what they did. Then I had to put a Memory Charm on them, so they wouldn't remember doing it. if there's one thing I pride myself on, it's my Memory Charms. No, it's been a lot of work, children. It's not all book signings and publicity photos, you know. You want fame, you have to be prepared for a long hard slog."

"But Harry and I never had to work hard," said Selena slyly. "I didn't even know I was a telekinetic until a year ago. We never worked for fame, yet we're more famous than you without even trying. You're jealous that I'm one of a kind with a real ability, and you're just a scoundrel who stole from others. Pretend all you want Lockhart, but deep down you know the truth. You know that you're a fake."

Lockhart clenched his jaw tightly and he banged the lids of his trunks shut and locked them.

"Let's see," he said. "I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left."

He pulled out his wand and turned to them.

"Awfully sorry, kids, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you balding my secrets all over the place. I'd never sell another book –"

Harry, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha all reached for their wands and pointed them threateningly at Lockhart. Lockhart's wand shot out of his hand and flew right into Selena outstretched hand. Selena smirked slyly, tauntingly waving around at Lockhart.

"Now – now Selena… give that back… be a good girl and give me my wand back…" Lockhart stuttered, forcing a painful grin.

"You really think I'm that stupid? After you just told us you were going to wipe our memories. No sire. You want your wand, go get it – fetch!" The wand shot up into the air and flew out the window ("NO!" Lockhart yelled, making a useless dive for his wand). Selena brought out her own wand and joined the others in pointed it at Lockhart.

"L-look kids, what d'you want me to do?" said Lockhart weakly. "I don't know where the Chamber of Secrets is. There's nothing I can do."

"You're in luck," said Harry as Selena brought him over with telekinesis, still holding him at wand point. "We think we know where it is. And what's inside it. Let's go."

They marched Lockhart out of his office and down the nearest stairs, along the dark corridor where the messages shone on the wall, to the door of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

They sent Lockhart in first. Harry and Selena were pleased to see that he was shaking.

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the end toilet.

"Oh, hello Harry, hello Selena," she said when she saw Harry and Selena. "What do you want?"

Harry and Selena looked at each other, deciding between them that Selena should be the one to ask the question. "To ask you how you died," she said, hoping that Myrtle wouldn't be offended.

To her surprise, Myrtle's whole aspect changed at once. She looked as though she had never been asked such a flattering question.

"Oooooh, it was dreadful," she said with relish. "It happened right in here. I died in this very cubicle. I remember it so well. I'd hidden because Olive Hornby was teasing me about my glasses. The door was locked, and I was crying, and then I heard somebody come on. They said something funny. A different language, I think it must have been. Anyway, what really got me was that I was a boy speaking. So I unlocked the door, to tell them to go and use his own toilet, and then –" Myrtle swelled importantly, her face shining. "I died."

"Just like that? How?" said Selena.

"I don't know Selena," said Myrtle in hushed tones. "I only remember seeing a pair of great, big, yellow eyes. My whole body sort of seized up, and then I was floating away…" She looked dreamily at Harry. "And then I came back again. I was determined to haunt Olive Hornby, you see. Oh, she was sorry she'd ever laughed at my glasses."

"Where exactly did you see the eyes?" said Selena.

"Over there by that sink," said Myrtle, pointing vaguely toward the sink in front of her toilet.

Harry, Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha hurried over to it. Lockhart was standing well back, a look of utter terror on his face.

It looked like an ordinary sink. They examined every inch of it, inside and out, including the pipes below. And then Evan spotted it: Scratched on the side of one of the copper taps was a tiny snake.

"That taps never worked," said Myrtle brightly as she tried to turn it.

"Harry, Selena," said Ron. "Say something. Something in Parseltongue."

"But –" Harry and Selena thought hard. The only times they'd ever managed to speak Parseltongue were when they'd been faced with a real snake. They stared hard at the tiny engraving, trying to imagine it was real.

"Open up," they said.

They looked at Ron and the girls, who shook their heads.

"English," they said.

Harry and Selena looked back at the snake, willing themselves to believe it was alive. If they moved their heads, the candle light made it look as though it were moving.

"Open up," they said.

Except that the words weren't what they heard; a strange hissing had escaped them, and at once the tap glowed with a brilliant white light and began to spin. Next second, the sink began to move; the sink, in fact, sank, right out of sight, leaving a large pipe exposed, a pipe wide enough for a man to slide into.

Harry and Selena heard Ron and the girls gasp and looked up again. They had made up their minds what they were going to do.

"We're going down there," they said.

They couldn't not go, not now they had found the entrance to the Chamber, not if there was even the faintest, slimmest, wildest chance that Ginny might be alive.

"Me too," said Ron.

"We're coming too," said Odessa, Evan and Asha.

There was a pause.

"Well, you hardly seem to need me," said Lockhart, with a shadow of his old smile. "I'll just –"

He started towards the open door, but before he could even take a step, the door slammed shut and locked. Lockhart forced another grin, turning to Selena, who glared in return. "Don't even think about it," she said.

"Selena… let me out please…" he pleaded sweetly.

Lockhart found himself pulled forward to the edge of the pipe. Myrtle was cackling at Lockhart's frightened features.

"You first," Ron snarled.

White faced and wandless, Lockhart approached the opening.

"Kids," he said, his voice feeble. "Kids, what good will it do?"

"Better you than us, go on." Evan said, poking Lockhart in the back.

Harry jabbed him in the back with his wand Lockhart slid his legs into the pipe.

"I really don't think –" he started to say, but Evan gave him a push, and he slid out of sight. Harry followed quickly. He lowered himself slowly into the pipe, turned around to Selena, who said, "I'm right behind you.", then let go.

It was like rushing down an endless, slimy, dark slide. He could see more pipes branching off all in directions, but none as large as theirs, which twisted and turned, sloping steeply downward, and he knew that he was falling deeper below the school than even the dungeons. Behind him he could hear Ron, thudding slightly around the curves.

And then, just as they had begun to worry about what would happen when he hit the ground, the pipe levelled out, and he shot out of the end with a wet thud, landing on the damp floor of the dark stone tunnel large to stand in. Lockhart was getting to his feet a little ways away, covered in slime and white as a ghost. Harry stood aside Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha came whizzing out of the pipe, too.

"We must be miles under the school," said Harry, his voice echoing in the dark tunnel.

"Under the lake, probably," said Ron, squinting around at the dark, slimy walls.

All six of them turned to stare into the darkness ahead.

"Lumos!" Harry muttered to his wand and it lit again. "C'mon," he said to Ron, Selena, Odessa, Evan, Asha and Lockhart, and off they went, their footsteps slapping loudly on the wet floor.

The tunnel was so dark that they could only see a little distance ahead. Their shadows on the wet walls looked monstrous in the wand light.

"Remember," Selena said quietly as they walked cautiously forward, "any sign of movement, close your eyes straight away…"

But the tunnel was quiet as the grave, and the first unexpected sound they heard was a loud crunch as Ron stepped on what turned out to be a rat's skull. Harry lowered his wand to look at the floor and saw that it was littered with small animal bones. Trying hard not to imagine what Ginny might look like if they found her, Harry led the way forward, around a dark bend in the tunnel.

"Harry – there's something up there –" said Selena hoarsely, grabbing Harry's shoulder.

They froze, watching. Harry and Selena could just see the outline of something huge and curved, lying right across the tunnel. It wasn't moving.

"Maybe it's asleep," Harry breathed, glancing back at the others. Lockhart's hands were pressed over his eyes. Harry turned back to look at the thing, his heart beating so fast it hurt. "Careful Harry." Selena whispered.

Very slowly, Harry's eyes narrowed, he edged forward, his wand held high.

The light slid over a gigantic snake skin, of a vivid, poisonous green, lying curled and empty across the tunnel floor. The creature that had shed it must have been twenty feet long at least.

"Holy shit," Evan swore.

"Blimey," said Ron weakly.

There was a sudden movement behind them. Gilderoy Lockhart's knees had given way.

"Get up," said Ron sharply, pointing his wand at Lockhart.

Lockhart got to his feet – then he dived at Ron, knocking him to the ground.

Harry, Selena, Odessa, Evan and Asha jumped forward, but too late – Lockhart was straightening up, panting, Ron's wand in his hand and a gleaming smile back on his face.

"The adventure ends here, kids!" he said. "I shall take a bit of this skin back up to the school, tell them I was too late to save the girl, and that you five tragically lost your minds at the sight of her mangled body – say good bye to your memories!"

He raised Ron's Spello-taped wand high over his head and yelled, "Obliviate!"

The wand exploded with the force of a small bomb. Harry and Selena flung their arms over their heads and ran, slipping over the coils of snake skin, out of the way of great chunks of ceiling that were thundering to the floor. Next moment, they were standing alone, gazing at a solid wall of broken rock.

"Ron! Evan! Odessa! Asha!" they shouted. "Are you okay? Guys!"

"We're here!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind the rockfall. "We're okay – this git's not, though – he got blasted by the wand –"

There was a dull thud and a loud "ow!" it sounded as though Ron had kicked Lockhart in the shins.

"What now?" Evan's voice said, sounding desperate. "We can't get through – it'll take ages…"

Harry and Selena looked up at the tunnel ceiling. Huge cracks had appeared in it. They had never tried to break apart anything as large as these rocks by magic, even telekinesis seemed like a bad idea, and now didn't seem like a good moment to try either – what if the whole tunnel caved in?

There was another thud and another "ow!" from behind the rocks. They were wasting time. Ginny had already been in the Chamber of Secrets for hours… Harry and Selena knew there was only one thing to do.

"Wait here," Harry called out. "Wait with Lockhart. We'll go on… If we're not back in an hour…"

There was a very pregnant pause.

"We'll try and shift some of this rock," said Odessa, who seemed to be trying to keep her voice steady. "So you two can – can get back through. And, Harry, Selena –"

"See you in a bit," said Harry, trying to inject some confidence into his shaking voice.

And he and Selena set off alone past the giant snake skin.

Soon the distant noises of Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha straining to shift the rocks was gone. The tunnel turned and turned again. Every nerve in the twins' bodies was tingling unpleasantly. They wanted the tunnel to end yet dreaded what they'd find when they did. And then, at last, as they crept around yet another bend, they saw a solid wall ahead on which two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

Harry and Selena approached, their throats very dry. There was no need to pretend these stone snakes were real; their eyes looked strangely alive.

They could guess what thy had to do. They cleared their throats, and the emerald eyes seemed to flicker.

"Open," said the twins, in low, faint hiss's.

The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and Harry and Selena, shaking from head to foot, walked inside.

* * *

They were standing at the end of a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support a ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Their hearts beating very fast, Harry and Selena stood listening to the chill silence. Could the basilisk be lurking in a shadowy corner, behind a pillar? And where was Ginny?

They pulled out their wands and moved forward between the serpentine columns. Every careful footsteps echoed loudly off the shadowy walls. He kept his eyes narrowed, ready to clamp them shut at the smallest sign of movement. The hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes seemed to be following them. More than once, with a jolt of the stomach, they thought they saw one stir. You don't belong here, this place seemed to say to them.

Then, as they drew level with the last pair of pillars, a statue high as the Chamber itself loomed into view, standing against the back wall.

Harry and Selena had to crane their necks to look up into the giant face above: It was ancient and monkey-like, with a long, thin beard that fell almost to the bottom of the wizard's sweeping stone robes, where two enormous grey feet stood on the smooth Chamber floor. And between the feet, facedown, lay a small, black robed figure with flaming red hair.

"Ginny!" Harry and Selena muttered, sprinting to her and dropping to their knees. "Ginny – don't be dead – please don't be dead –"

They flung their wands aside, grabbed Ginny's shoulders, and turned her over. Her face was white as marble, and as cold, yet her eyes were closed, so she wasn't Petrified. But then she must be –

"Ginny, please wake up," Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side.

Selena moved in and began hammering on Ginny's chest in an attempt to revive her with CPR. Nothing.

"Ginny, c'mon girl, you need to wake up." she pleaded.

"She won't wake," said a soft voice.

Harry and Selena jumped and spun around on their knees.

A tall, black haired boy was leaning against the nearest pillar, watching. He was strangely blurred around the edges, as though Harry and Selena were looking at him through a misted window. But there was no mistaking him –

"Tom – Tom Riddle?"

Riddle nodded, not taking his eyes off the twins' faces.

"What d'you you mean, she won't wake?" said Selena desperately. "She's not – she's not –?"

"She still alive," said Riddle. "But only just."

Harry and Selena stared at him. Tom Riddle had been at Hogwarts fifty years ago, yet here he stood, a weird, misty light shining about him, not a day older than sixteen.

"Are you a ghost?" Harry said uncertainly.

"A memory," said Riddle quietly. "Preserved in a diary for fifty years."

He pointed toward the floor near the statue's giant toes. Lying open there was the little black diary Harry and Selena had found in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. For a second, Harry and Selena wondered how it had got there – but there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"You've got to help us, Tom," Selena said, raising Ginny's head again.

"We've got to get her out of here. There's a basilisk… we don't know where it is, but it could be along any moment… Please, help us." said Harry, looking around the chamber as if he expected the basilisk to come slithering out right then and there.

Riddle didn't move. The twins, sweating, managed to hoist Ginny half off the floor, and bent to pick up their wands again.

But their wands had gone.

"Did you see –?"

They looked up. Riddle was still watching them – twirling Harry's and Selena's wands between his long fingers.

"Thanks," said Selena, stretching out her hand for them.

A smile curled the corners of Riddle's mouth. He continued to stare at the twins, twirling the wands idly.

"Listen," said Harry urgently, his knees sagging with Ginny's dead weight. "We've got to go! If the basilisk comes –"

"It won't come until it is called," said Riddle calmly.

Harry lowered Ginny back onto the floor, unable to hold her up any longer.

"What do you mean?" Selena said. "Look, give us our wands Tom, we might need them –"

Riddle's smile broadened.

"You won't be needing them," he said.

Harry and Selena stared at him.

"What d'you mean, we won't be –?"

"I've waited a long time for this, Potter Twins," said Riddle. "For the chance to see you. To speak to you."

"Look," said Harry, losing patience, "I don't think you get it. We're in the Chamber of Secrets. We can talk later –"

"We're going to talk now," said Riddle, still smiling broadly, and he pocketed Harry's and Selena's wands.

Harry and Selena stared at him for a minute, then looked at each other. Something didn't feel right about this.

"How did Ginny get like this?" they asked slowly.

"Well, that's an interesting question," said Riddle pleasantly. "And quite a long story. I suppose the real reason Ginny Weasley's like this is because she opened her heart and spilled out all her secrets to an invisible stranger."

"What are you talking about?" said Selena, narrowing her eyes.

"The diary," said Riddle. "My diary. Little Ginny's been writing in it for months and months, telling me all her pitiful worries and woes – how her brothers tease her, how thankful she was for your generous loan Selena, how we wishes you were her older sister, how" – Riddle's eyes glinted as he turned to Harry – "how she didn't think the famous, good, great Harry Potter would ever like her…"

All the time he spoke, Riddle's eyes never left Harry and Selena's faces. There as an almost hungry look in them.

"It's very boring, having to listen to the silly troubles of an eleven year old girl," he went on. "But I was patient. I wrote back. I was sympathetic, I was kind. Ginny simply loved me. No one's ever understood me like you, Tom… I'm so glad I've got this diary to confide in… It's like having a friend I can carry around in my pocket…"

Riddle laughed, a high, cold laugh that didn't suit him. It made the hairs stand up on the backs of the twins' necks.

"If I say it myself, Harry and Selena, I've always been able to charm the people I needed. So Ginny poured out her soul to me, and her soul happened to be exactly what I wanted… I grew stronger and stronger on a diet of her deepest fears, her darkest secrets. I grew powerful, far more powerful than little Miss Weasley. Powerful enough to start feeding Miss Weasley a few of my secrets, to start pouring a little of my soul back into her…"

"What d'you mean?" said Harry, whose mouth had gone very dry. Selena had turned a sickly green.

"Haven't you two guessed yet, Harry Potter, Selena Potter?" said Riddle softly. "Ginny Weasley opened the Chamber of Secrets. She strangled the school roosters and daubed threatening message on the walls. She set the Serpent of Slytherin on the Mudbloods, the Half-blood and the Squibs.

"No," Harry whispered.

"She couldn't… s-she wouldn't!" Selena cried.

"Yes," said Riddle, calmly. "Of course, she didn't know what she was doing at first. It was very amusing. I whs you would have seen her new diary entries… far more interesting, they became… Dear Tom," he recited, watching the twins' horrified faces, "I think I'm losing my memory. There are rooster feathers all over my robes and I don't know how they got there. Dear Tom, I can't remember what I did on the night of Halloween, but a cat was attacked, and I've got paint all down my front. Dear Tom, Percy keeps telling me I'm pale and not my myself. I think he suspects me… there was another attack today and I don't know where I was. Tom, what am I going to do? I think I'm going mad… I think I'm the one attacking everyone, Tom!"

Harry's fists were clenched, the nails digging deep into his palms.

The fire had returned to Selena's eyes, glaring at Riddle. If looks could kill, Riddle would've dropped dead on the spot. "You monster…" she hissed.

"Monster, of course that would be an understatement, Selena Potter. It took a very long time for stupid little Ginny to stop trusting her diary," said Riddle. "But when she finally became suspicious and tried to dispose of it. And that's where you two came in, Harry and Selena. You found it, and I couldn't have been more delighted. Of all the people who could have picked it up, it was you two, the very people I was most anxious to meet…"

"And why did you want to meet us?" said the twins. Anger was coursing through them both, and it was an effort to keep their voices steady.

"Well, you see, Ginny told me all about you two, Potters," said Riddle. "Your whole fascinating history." His eyes roved over the lightening scars on Harry's and Selena's foreheads, and their expression grew hungrier. "I know I must find out more about you, talk to you, meet you if I could. So I decided to show you my famous capture of that great oaf, Hagrid, to gain your trust –"

"Hagrid's our friend," said Harry, his voice now shaking.

Selena added. "And you framed him, didn't you? We thought you had made a mistake, but –"

Riddle laughed his high laugh again.

"It was my word against Hagrid's, Selena. Well, you can imagine how it looked to old Armando Dippet. One the other hand, Tom Riddle, poor but brilliant, parentless but so brave, school prefect, model student… on the other hand, big, blundering Hagrid, in trouble every other week, trying to raise werewolf cubs under his bed, sneaking off to the Forbidden Forest to wrestle trolls… but I admit, even I was surprised how well the plan worked. I thought someone must realize that Hagrid couldn't possibly be the Heir of Slytherin. It had taken me five whole years to find out everything I could about the Chamber of Secrets and discover the secret entrance… as though Hagrid had the brains, of the power!

"Only Dumbledore seemed to think he was innocent. He persuaded Dippet to keep Hagrid and train him as gamekeeper Yes, I think Dumbledore might have guessed… Dumbledore never seemed to like me as much as the other teachers did…"

"I bet Dumbledore saw right through you," said Harry, his teeth gritted.

"Well, he certainly kept an annoyingly close watch on me after Hagrid was expelled," said Riddle carelessly. "I knew it wouldn't be safe to open the Chamber again while I was still a school. But I wasn't going to waste those long years I'd spent searching for it. I decided to leave behind a diary, preserving my sixteen-year-old self in its pages, so that one day, with luck, I would be able to lead another in my footsteps, and finished Salazar Slytherin's noble work."

"Well, you haven't finished it," said Harry triumphantly.

Selena nodded her head in agreement. "No one's died this time, not even the cat. In a few hours the Mandrake Draught will be ready and everyone who was Petrified will be all right again –"

"Haven't I already told you two," said Riddle quietly, "that killing Mudbloods doesn't matter to me anymore? For many months now, my new target has been – you."

Harry and Selena stared at him.

"Imagine how angry I was when the next time my diary was opened, it was Ginny who was writing to me, not you two. She saw you two with the diary, you see, and panicked. What if you found out how to work it, and repeated all her secrets to you two? What if, even worse, I told you who'd been strangling roosters? So the foolish little brat waited until the boys dormitory was empty and stole it back. But I knew what I must do. It was clear to me that you were on the trail of Slytherin's heir. From everything Ginny had told me about you, I knew you would go to any lengths to solve the mystery – particularly if one of your best friends was attacked. And Ginny had told me the whole school was buzzing because you two could speak Parseltongue, and that you" – he directed his attention at Selena – "were a telekinetic…"

Selena's face was red with anger.

"So I made Ginny write her own farewell on the wall and come down here to wait. She struggled and cried and became very boring. But there isn't much life left in her… She put too much into the diary, into me. Enough to let me leave its pages at last… I have been waiting for you two to appear since we arrived here. I knew you'd come. I have many questions for you two, Harry Potter and Selena Potter."

"Like what?" Harry and Selena spat, fists still clenched.

"Well," said Riddle, smiling pleasantly, "how is it that you two, a skinny boy and girl with no extraordinary magical talent – managed to defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How did you two escape with nothing but a scar, while Lord Voldemort's powers were destroyed?" There was an odd red gleam in his hungry eyes now.

"Why do you care how we escaped?" said Harry slowly.

"Voldemort was after you time…" said Selena, still glaring.

"Voldemort," said Riddle softly, "is my past, present, and future, Potter Twins…"

He pulled Harry's wand from his pocket and began to trace it through the air, writing three shimmering words:

TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE

Then he waved the wand once, and the letters of his name rearranged themselves:

I AM LORD VOLDEMORT

"You see," he whispered. "It was a name I was already using at Hogwarts, to my most intimate friends only, of course. You think I was going to use my filthy Muggle father's name forever? I, in whose veins runs the blood of Salazar Slytherin himself, through my mother's side? I, keep the name of a foul, common Muggle, who abandoned me even before I was born, just because he found out his wife was a witch? No, Potters – I fashioned myself a new name, a name I knew wizards everywhere would one day fear to speak, when I became the greatest sorcerer in the world!"

Harry's and Selena's brains seemed to have jammed. They stared numbly at Riddle, at the orphaned boy who had grown up to murder Harry's and Selena's own parents, and so many other… At last they forced themselves to speak.

"You're not," they said, their quiet voices full of hatred.

"No what?" snapped Riddle.

"You're not the greatest sorcerer in the world," said Harry, breathing fast. "Sorry to disappoint you and all that, but the greatest wizard in the world is Albus Dumbledore. Everyone says so."

Selena shot Riddle a smirk that would give Draco a run for his money. "Even when you were strong, you didn't dare try and take over at Hogwarts. Dumbledore saw through you when you were at school and he still frightens you now, wherever you're hiding these days –"

The smile had gone from Riddle's face, to be replaced by a very ugly look.

"Dumbledore's been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me!" he hissed.

"He's not as gone as you might think!" Harry retorted. Selena nodded her head – still smirking. They were speaking at random, wanting to scare Riddle, wishing rather than believing it to be true.

Riddle open his mouth but froze.

Music was coming from somewhere. Riddle whirled around to stare down the empty Chamber. The music was growing louder. It was eerie, spine tingling, unearthly; it lifted the hair on Harry's and Selena's scalps and made their hearts feel as though they were swelling to twice their normal size. Then, as the music reached such a pitch that harry felt it vibrating inside his own robs, flames erupted at the top of the nearest pillar.

A crimson bird the size of a swan had appeared, piping its weird music to the vaulted ceiling. It had a glittering golden tail as long as a peacock's and gleaming golden talons, which were gripping a ragged bundle.

A second later, a bird was flying straight at the twins. It dropped the ragged thing it was carrying at their feet, then landed heavily on Harry's shoulder. As it folded its great wings, Harry and Selena looked up and saw it had a long, sharp golden beak and a beady black eye.

The bird stopped singing It sat still and warm next to Harry's cheek, gazing steadily at Riddle.

"That's a phoenix," said Riddle, staring shrewdly back at it.

"Fawkes?" Harry and Selena breathed, and Harry felt the bird's golden claws squeeze his shoulder gently.

"And that –" said Riddle, now eyeing the ragged thing that Fawkes had dropped, "that's the old school Sorting Hat –"

So it was. Patched, frayed, and dirty, the hat lay motionless at the twins' feet.

Riddle began to laugh again. He laughed so hard that the dark chamber rang with it, as though ten Riddles were laughing at once.

"This is what Dumbledore sends his great defenders! A songbird and an old hat! Do you feel brave, Potter twins? Do you feel safe now?"

Neither Harry or Selena answered. They might not see what use Fawkes of the Sorting Hat were, but they were far from being alone. They also knew that Selena could use her telekinesis on whatever danger was thrown that them. They waited for Riddle to stop laughing with their courage mounting.

"To business, Potters," said Riddle, still smiling broadly. "Twice – in your past – we have met. And twice I failed to kill you both. How did you two survive? Tell me everything. The longer you talk," he added softly, "the longer you stay alive."

Harry and Selena were thinking of a plan between them, weighing their chances. Riddle had their wands. Harry and Selena had Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, neither of which would be much good in a duel. Telekinesis might be a good move, but as Selena already mentioned when they escaped Aragog's children that there was only one of her. But what else could they do? Riddle or the basilisk was going to kill them either way, and they weren't going down without a fight. Ginny was counting on them.

The longer Riddle stood there, the more life was dwindling out of Ginny… and in the meantime, Harry and Selena noticed something, Riddle's outline was becoming clearer, more solid… if it had to be a fight between them and Riddle, better sooner than later.

"No one knows why you lost your powers when you attacked me," said Harry abruptly. "We don't know ourselves. But we do know why you couldn't kill us. Because our mother died to save us. Our common Muggle-born mother," he added, shaking with suppressed rage. "She stopped you killing us."

"And we've seen the real you, we saw you last year. You're a wreck. You're barely alive. That's where all your power got you. You're in hiding. You're ugly, you're foul –" Selena added, shaking with the same rage.

Riddle's face contorted. Then he forced it into an awful smile. "So. Your mother died to save you. Yes, that's a powerful counter charm. I can see now… there is nothing magically special about you two, after all. I wondered, you see. There are strange likenesses between us, after all. Even you two must've noticed. Half-bloods, orphans, raised by Muggles. Probably the only three Parselmouths to come to Hogwarts since the great Slytherin himself. But after all, it was merely a lucky chance that saved you two from me. That's all I wanted to know."

Harry and Selena stood, tense, waiting for Riddle to raise his wand. But Riddle's twisted smile was widening again.

"Now, Harry and Selena, I'm going to teach you two a little lesson. Let's match the powers of Lord Voldemort, Heir of Salazar Slytherin, against the famous Potter Twins, and the best weapons Dumbledore can give them…"

He cast an amused eye over Fawkes and the Sorting Hat, then walked away. Harry and Selena, fear spreading up their numb legs, watched Riddle stop between the high pillars and look up into the stone face of Slytherin, high above him in the half darkness. Riddle opened his mouth wide and hissed – but Harry and Selena understood what he was saying…

"Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

Harry and Selena wheeled around to look up at the statue, Fawkes swaying on Harry's shoulder.

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving. Horror-struck, the twins saw his mouth opening, wider and wider, to make a huge black hole.

And something was stirring inside the statue's mouth. Something was slithering up from its depths.

Harry and Selena backed away until they felt the dark Chamber wall against their backs, and as they shut their eyes tight Harry felt Fawkes' wing sweep his cheek as he took flight. Harry wanted to shout, "Don't leave me!" but what chance did a phoenix have against the king of the serpents?

Something huge hit the stone floor of the Chamber. Harry and Selena felt it shudder – they knew what was happening, they could sense it, could almost see the giant serpent uncoiling itself from Slytherin's mouth. Then they heard Riddle's hissing voice:

"Kill them."

The basilisk was moving toward Harry and Selena; they could hear its heavy body slithering heavily across the dusty floor. Eyes still tightly shut, Harry and Selena grabbed each other's hand and began to run blindly sideways, their other hands outstretched, feeling their way – Voldemort was laughing…

Harry tripped, and Selena landed next to him. They fell hard onto the stone and Harry tasted blood. His glasses were knocked from his face and lay a few centimetres away from him. Blindly he fumbled around for them and returned them to his face. The twins lay still as the stone pillars around them, they were frozen with fear. The serpent was barely feet away from them, they could hear it coming.

There was a loud, explosive sitting sound right above them, and then something heavy hit Harry and Selena so hard that they were smashed into the wall. Waiting fangs to sink through their bodies they heard more mad hissing, something thrashing wildly off the pillars.

They couldn't help it – they opened their eyes wide enough to squint at what was going on.

The enormous serpent, bright, poisonous green, thick as an oak trunk, had raised itself high in the air, and its great blunt head was weaving drunkenly between the pillars. As Harry and Selena trembled, ready to close their eyes if it turned, they saw what had distracted the snake.

Fawkes was soaring around its head, and the basilisk was snapping furiously at him with fangs long and thin as sabres.

Fawkes dived. His long golden beak sank out of sight and a sudden shower of dark blood splattered the floor. The snake's tail thrashed, narrowly missing Harry and Selena, and before the twins could shut their eyes, it turned – Harry and Selena looked straight into its face and saw its eyes, both its great bulbous yellow eyes, had been punctured by the phoenix; blood was streaming to the floor, and the snake was spitting in agony.

"NO!" Harry and Selena heard Riddle screaming. 'LEAVE THE BIRD! LEAVE THE BIRD! THE TWINS ARE BEHIND YOU. YOU CAN STILL SMELL THEM. KILL THEM!"

The blinded serpent swayed, confused, still deadly. Fawkes was circling its head, piping his eerie song, jabbing here and there at its scaly nose as the blood pouring from its ruined eyes.

"Help us, help us," Harry muttered wildly, "Selena do something – do something telekinetic!"

Selena whimpered, and held out her right hand, concentrating hard on the basilisk's huge form. " _Throw it! Throw it across the room! You did so with the spiders!"_ the voice in her head told her. But this snake had to be twice the size of Aragog's children. Could she do it? She had to, for her brother and for Ginny. Summoning everything she had in her, she began to lift the snake high into the air. The basilisk, confused and blinded, felt it's body lift off the floor and high into the air. They heard Riddle shout. "NO! DON'T JUST STAY STILL! YOU CAN STILL MOVE! KILL HER! KILL THEM BOTH!"

The snake thrashed about in the air for half a second as Selena slammed it hard into the opposite wall. The snake didn't seem to be hurt, only dazed but it bought the twins some time to get up and run behind another pillar. Selena felt something wet on her cupids bow and tasted blood on her lips. Her nose was bleeding again but she didn't wipe it off.

The snake had already recovered from its daze and was slithering over to where the twins were hiding, flicking its forked tongue out, sniffing them out. It was furious and hissing loudly. The snake's tail whipped across the floor again and something soft landed across their laps.

The basilisk had swept the Sorting hat into the twin's arms. It was all they had left, their only chance – they rammed it onto their heads and huddled together as the snake slithered closer to them.

Help us – help us – The twins though, their eyes screwed tight under the hat. Please help us!

There was no answering voice. Instead, the hat contracted, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it very tightly.

Something very hard and heavy thudded past the twin's heads and landed in Harry's lap. A gleaming silver sword had appeared from inside the hat, its handle glittering with rubies the size of eggs.

Harry had already made up his mind. He knew that Selena's powers were already weakened by the internal bleeding.

"Selena, go hide somewhere. I'm going in." he said quickly, grabbing the sword's handle.

Selena whimpered. She didn't want to let Harry take on the basilisk on his own, but without her powers she was defenceless and there was only one sword. She knew that if she continued to use her powers after she started bleeding, it would cause her to bleed out. Her choices were limited. "Okay Harry, I hope you know what you're doing."

The twins were on their feet, ready. Selena darted around the pillar, behind the giant snake. In its fury, the basilisk hadn't noticed Selena run past it, and neither did Riddle.

The snake rose up, the rest of its body in coils. Harry could see its vast, bloody eye sockets, the mouth was stretching wide enough to swallow him whole, lined with fangs as long as his sword, thin, glittering, venomous.

It lunged blindly. Harry dodged, and it hit the Chamber wall. It lunged again and its forked tongue-lashed Harry's side. Selena then did something very brave and very stupid. Summoning all her strength, she did a great running leap and dug her fingers into the snakes ruined eyes, coating her hands with dark blood. The snake thrashed about again, swerved its head around. The blood on Selena's hands made her lose her grip and she slid down the basilisks' neck. The snake, seizing the opportunity, clamped its mouth around Selena's right leg, sinking its fangs into her flesh. Selena gave a cry of pain as three fangs pierced her skin and Harry yelled:

"SELENA!"

Selena immediately felt the snakes venom course through her veins and she slipped off the giant serpent, to the floor, moaning in pain and writhing on the floor, a puddle of red was pouring from her leg and soaking her robes.

Harry felt his heart rip in half and a few tears spilled from his eyes. Not Selena. She was his only family. The basilisk turned its head and lunged again, and this time its aim was true – Harry threw his whole weight behind the sword and drove it to the hilt into the roof of the serpents' mouth –

But as warm blood drenched Harry's arms, he felt a searing pain just above his elbow. One long, poisonous fang was sinking deeper and deeper into his arm and it splintered as the basilisk keeled over sideways and fell, twitching, to the floor.

Harry slid down the wall. He gripped the fang that was spreading poison through his body and wrench it out of his arm. But he knew it was too late. Now he knew what Selena felt. A white-hot pain was spreading slowly and steadily from the wound. Even as he dropped the fang and watched his own blood soaking his robes, his vision went foggy. The Chamber was dissolving in a whirl of dull colour.

Selena weakly crawled over to Harry and collapsed beside him. Harry shakily pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "S-Selena… why… why did you…" he slurred, finding it harder to speak.

"I-I t-tried t-to s-s-save y-you…" she said, weakly. Her eyes were only half open.

"I told you to hide,"

"R-remember w-w-what I-I-I w-wrote on t-t-that b-birthday c-c-card last y-year, 'Through thick and thin, we stand together as one,'" – her breathing was slowing down, and her skin was turning as cold as the stone floor – "I-I l-love y-y-you, b-brother…"

Selena's head fell back as her eyes closed completely, and her body fell limp.

Harry's jaw dropped, and his vision was now blurry with tears. She couldn't be dead. She wasn't allowed to be dead. Not Selena. He didn't want to be alone. Without Selena, he was lost…

"How can we stand together when one of us is gone?" he whispered sadly, pulling her limp body closer.

The pain of the basilisk bite compared nothing to the agony that tore at his heart. Harry leaned down and howled into his sisters unmoving form, hoping against hope that she wasn't dead, but deep down he knew it was useless. His sister wasn't breathing.

A patch of scarlet swam past, and Harry heard a soft clatter of claws beside him.

"Fawkes," said Harry thickly. "You were fantastic, Fawkes…"

Through the blur of the venom's effect and his own tears, he saw the bird lay its beautiful head on the spot where the serpents fangs had pierced Selena's leg.

He could hear echoing footsteps and then a dark shadow moved in front of him.

"She's dead, Harry Potter," said Riddle's voice above him. "Dead. Even Dumbledore's bird knows it. Do you see what he's doing, Potter? He's crying."

Harry blinked. Fawkes's head slid in and out of focus. Thick, pearly tears were trickling down the glossy feathers.

"I'm going to sit here and watch you die, Harry Potter. Take your time. I'm in no hurry."

Harry felt drowsy. Everything around him seemed to be spinning.

Riddle laughed. "So ends the famous Harry Potter and Selena Potter," said Riddle's distant voice. "Alone in the Chamber of Secrets, forsaken by their friends, defeated at last by the Dark lord they so unwisely challenged. You'll be with your dear twin sister and Mudblood mother soon, Harry… She bought you and your sister twelve years of borrowed time… but Lord Voldemort got you two in the end, as you knew he would…"

If this is dying, thought Harry, it's not so bad.

Even the pain was leaving him…

But was this dying? Instead of going black, the Chamber seemed to be coming back into focus. Harry have his head a little shake and there was Fawkes, resting his head on his arm. A pearly patch of tears was shining all around the wound – except that there was no wound. There was a moan and Harry looked down, hardly daring to believe it.

Selena's eyes fluttered open and she sat up. The wound on her leg was also gone and her nose had stopped bleeding, now clotted under her nostrils.

"Get away, bird," said Riddle's voice suddenly. "Get away from them – I said, get away!"

Harry and Selena raised their heads. Riddle was pointing Harry's wand at Fawkes; there was a bang like a gun, and Fawkes took flight again in a whirl of gold and scarlet.

"Phoenix tears…" said Riddle quietly, staring at Harry's arm and Selena's leg. "Of course, healing powers… I forgot…"

He looked into the twins' faces. "But it makes no difference. In fact, I prefer it this way. Just us three, Harry Potter and Selena Potter… just us three…"

He raised the wand.

Then, in a rush of wings, Fawkes had soared back overhead, and something fell in front of the twins – the diary.

For a split second, Harry, Selena and Riddle, wand still raised, stared at it. Then, without thinking, without considering, as though they had meant to do it all along, Harry ad Selena seized the basilisk fang on the floor next to them and plunged it straight into the heart of the book.

There was a long, dreadful, piercing scream. Ink spurted out of the diary in torrents, streaming over Harry's and Selena's hands, flooding the floor. Riddle was writhing and twisting, screaming and flailing and then –

He had gone. Harry's and Selena's wands fell to the floor with a clatter and there was silence. Silence except for the steady drip of ink still oozing from the diary. The basilisk venom had burned a sizzling hole right through it.

Shaking all over, Harry and Selena pulled themselves up. Their heads were spinning as though they'd just travelled miles by Floo Powder. Slowly, they gathered together their wands and the Sorting Hat, and, with a huge tug, Harry retrieved the glittering sword from the roof of the basilisk's mouth.

Then came a faint moan from the end of the Chamber. Ginny was stirring. As Harry and Selena hurried toward her, she sat up. her bemused eyes travelled from the huge form of the dead basilisk, over Harry and Selena, in their blood-soaked robes, then to the diary in Selena's hand. She drew a great, shuddering gasp and tears began to pour down her face.

"Harry, Selena – oh, I tried to tell you at b-breakfast, but I c-couldn't say it in front of Percy – it was me – but I – I swear I d-didn't mean to R-Riddle made me, he t-took me over – and – how did you kill that – that thing? W-where's Riddle? The last thing I r-remember is him coming out of the diary –"

"It's all right," said Selena, holding up the diary, and showing Ginny the fang hole, "Riddle's finished. Look! Him and the basilisk. C'mon, Ginny, let's get out of here –"

"I'm going to be expelled!" Ginny wept as Harry helped her awkwardly to her feet. "I've looked forward to coming to Hogwarts ever since B-Bill came and n-now I'll have to leave and – w-what'll Mum and Dad say?"

Selena pulled Ginny into a hug. "I think they'll be relieved that you're okay, Ginny. Everything's going to be fine."

Fawkes was waiting for them, hovering in the Chamber entrance. Harry urged the girls forward; they stepped over the motionless coils of the dead basilisk, through the echoing gloom, and back into the tunnel. Selena held the trembling Ginny in her arms as they moved forward through the tunnel. Harry and Selena heard the stone doors close behind them with a soft hiss.

After a few minutes' progress up the dark tunnel, a distant sound of slowly shifting rock reached their ears.

"Ron!" Harry yelled, speeding up. "Ginny's okay! We've got her!"

They heard Ron give a strangled cheer, and they turned the next bend to see his eager face staring through the sizable gap he, Odessa, Evan and Asha had managed to make in the rock fall.

"Ginny!" Ron thrust an arm through the gap in the rock to pull her through first. "You're alive! I don't believe it! What happened? How – what – where did that bird come from?" Fawkes had swooped through the gap after Ginny.

"He's Dumbledore's," said Selena, squeezing through after Harry.

"How come you've got a sword?" said Ron, gaping at the glittering weapon in Harry's hand.

"Long story, we'll explain when we get out of here," said Harry with a sideways glance at Ginny, who was crying harder than ever.

"But –"

"Later," Selena said shortly. Neither she nor Harry thought it was a good idea to tell Ron who'd been opening the Chamber, not in front of Ginny, anyway. "Where's Lockhart and the girls?"

"Back there," said Ron, still looking puzzled but jerking his head up the tunnel toward the pipe. "Lockhart's in a bad way. Come and see."

Led by Fawkes, whose wide scarlet wings emitted a soft golden glow in the darkness, they walked all the way back to the mouth of the pipe. Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting there, humming placidly to himself. Odessa, Evan and Asha were standing there too, Evan was kicking a stone on the ground when she noticed Harry, Ron, Selena and Ginny walking towards them. "Harry! Selena!" she cried, alerting Odessa and Asha, who shot up and ran to hug them, while asking questions and embracing Ginny.

"Ginny, thank Merlin you're okay."

"Why are you two covered in blood?"

"Where's the basilisk?"

"What happened?"

"Where did that bird come from?"

"Enough, we'll answer all your questions when we get out of here." said Selena, turning to Lockhart. "What's up with him?"

Evan turned and scoffed. "His memory's gone," she said. "The Memory Charm backfired. Hit him instead of us. Hasn't got a clue who he is, where he is, or who we are. We told him to come and wait here, but just to be on the safe side, we stayed with him encase he wandered off. He's a danger to himself."

Lockhart peered good naturedly up at them all.

"Hello," he said. "Odd sort of place, this, isn't it? Do you live here?"

"No," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry and Selena.

Harry bent down and looked up at the long, dark pipe.

"Have any of you thought how we're going to get back up this?" he said to the group.

Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha all shook their heads, but Fawkes the phoenix had swooped past harry and was now fluttering in front of him, his beady eyes bright in the dark. He was waving his long golden tail feathers. Harry looked uncertainly at him.

"I think he wants you to grab hold…" said Asha, looking perplexed. "But you're much too heavy for a bird to pull up there –"

"Fawkes," said Selena, "isn't an ordinary bird." She turned to Harry quickly and recited a plan. "We've got to on to each other. Harry, you grab hold of Fawkes, I'll hold on to your hand. Ron, hold onto my robes. Ginny, grab Ron's hand. Asha, you hold onto Evan. Odessa, you take Evan's other hand. Professor Lockhart –"

"She means you," said Ron sharply to Lockhart.

"You hold Odessa's other hand –"

Harry tucked the sword and the Sorting hat into his belt, Selena took Harry's hand, Ron took hold of the back of Selena's robes, then Ginny, Asha, Evan, Odessa and Lockhart. Harry reached out and took hold of Fawkes's strangely hot tail feathers.

An extraordinary lightness seemed to spread through his whole body and the next second, in a rush of wings, they were flying upward through the pipe. Harry and Selena could hear Lockhart dangling below them, saying, "Amazing! Amazing! This is just like magic!" The chill air was whipping through their hair, and before they'd stopped enjoying the ride, it was over – all eight of them were hitting the wet floor of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and as Lockhart straightened his hat, the sink that hid the pipe was sliding back into place.

Myrtle goggled at them.

"You're alive," she said blankly to Harry.

"We almost didn't make it," said Selena, flicking blood and slime off her ribbon.

"There's no need to sound so disappointed," Harry said grimly, wiping flecks of blood and slime off his glasses.

"Oh, well… I'd just been thinking… if you two had died, you'd have been welcome to share my toilet," said Myrtle, blushing silver at Harry.

"Urgh!" said Ron as they left the bathroom for the dark, deserted corridor outside. "Harry! I think Myrtle's grown fond of you! You've got competition, Ginny!"

But tears were still flooding silently down Ginny's face.

"Where now?" said Ron, with an anxious look at Ginny. Harry pointed.

Fawkes was leading the way, glowing gold along the corridors. They strode after him, and the moments later, found themselves outside Professor McGonagall's office.

Harry knocked and pushed the door open.


	18. Dobby's Reward

For a moment there was silence as Harry, Ron, Selena, Ginny, Odessa, Evan, Asha and Lockhart stood in the doorway, covered in muck and slime and (in the twins' case) blood. Then there was a scream.

"Ginny!"

It was Mrs. Weasley, who had been sitting crying in front of the fire. She leapt to her feet, closely followed by her husband, and both of them flung themselves on their daughter.

Harry and Selena, however, was looking past them. Professor Dumbledore was standing by the mantelpiece, beaming, next to Professor McGonagall, who was taking great, steadying gasps, clutching her chest. Fawkes went whooshing past Harry's ear and settled on Dumbledore's shoulder, just as Harry and Selena found themselves, Ron and the girls being swept into Mrs. Weasleys tight embrace.

"You saved her! You saved her! How did you do it?"

"I think we'd all like to know that," said Professor McGonagall weakly.

Mrs. Weasley let go of Harry and Selena, who hesitated for a moment, then walked over to the desk and laid upon it the Sorting Hat, the ruby encrusted sword, and what remained of Riddle's diary.

Then they started telling them everything. For nearly a quarter of an hour they spoke into the rapt silence: They told them about hearing the disembodied voice, how Hermione and Adeline had figured that they were hearing a basilisk in the pipes; how Vanessa had ended up Petrified because she had gone after them; how they, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha had followed the spiders into the forest, that Aragog had told them where the last victim of the basilisk had died; how they had guessed that Moaning Myrtle had been the victim, and that the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets might be in her bathroom…

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted them as they paused, "so you found out where the entrance was – breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add – but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potters?"

So Harry and Selena, their voices now growing hoarse from all this talking, told them about Fawkes's timely arrival and about the Sorting Hat giving them the sword. But then they faltered. They had so far avoided mentioning Riddle's diary – or Ginny. She was standing with her head against Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, and tears were still coursing silently down her cheeks. What if they expelled her? Harry thought in panic. Riddle's diary didn't work anymore… How could they prove it had been he who'd made her do it all?

Instinctively, Harry and Selena looked at Dumbledore, who smiled faintly, the firelight glancing off his half-moon spectacles.

"What interests me most," said Dumbledore gently, "is how Lord Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny, when my sources tell me he is currently in hiding in the forests of Albania."

Relief – warm, sweeping, glorious relief – swept over Harry and Selena. "W-what's that?" said Mr. Weasley in a stunned voice. "You-Know-Who? En-enchant Ginny? But Ginny's not… Ginny hasn't been… has she?"

"It was this diary," said Harry quickly, picking it up and showing it to Dumbledore. "Riddle wrote it when he was sixteen…"

Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and peered keenly down his long, crooked nose at its burnt and soggy pages.

"Brilliant," he said softly. "Of course, he was probably the most brilliant student Hogwarts has ever seen." He turned around to the Weasleys, who were looking utterly bewildered.

"Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school… travelled far and wide… sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, the when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."

"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What's our Ginny got to do with – with – him?"

"His d-diary!" Ginny sobbed. "I've b-been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year –"

"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything. What have I always told you? Never trust anything that you think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic!"

"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it –"

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore interrupted in a firm voice. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort." He strode over to the door and opened it. "bed rest and perhaps a large, steaming mug of hot chocolate. I always find that cheers me up," he added, twinkling kindly down at her. "You will find Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out the Mandrake juice – I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment."

"So Hermione's okay!" said Ron brightly.

"And Adeline!" Odessa cried, grinning ear to ear.

"And Vanessa!" Evan and Asha squealed gleefully.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," said Dumbledore.

Mrs. Weasley led Ginny out, and Mr. Weasley followed, still looking deeply shaken.

"You know, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully to Professor McGonagall, "I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"

"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door. "I'll leave you deal with the Potters, Weasley, Didgy, Grail and Barkridge-Shadowmend, shall I?"

"Certainly," said Dumbledore.

She left, and Harry, Selena, Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha gazed uncertainly at Dumbledore. What exactly had Professor McGonagall meant, deal with them? Surely – surely – they weren't about to be punished?

"I seem to remember telling you three that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules," said Dumbledore to Harry, Ron and Selena.

Ron opened his mouth in horror.

Odessa, Evan and Asha started talking desperately over each other. "No Professor, don't expel them!"

Dumbledore held up his hand to silence them. "Calm down girls, no one is getting expelled. This also involves you three as well. It just goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words," Dumbledore went on, smiling. "You will all receive Special Awards for Services to the School and – let me see – yes, I think two hundred points to each of your respected houses, for your troubles."

Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart's valentine flowers and closed his mouth again.

Evan and Asha looked like they had been hit with the Dancing Feet charm but were forcing themselves to keep still. Odessa was beaming brighter than the sun.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Harry and Selena gave a start. They had completely forgotten about Lockhart. They turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile. When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron said quickly, "there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart –"

"Am I a professor?" said Lockhart in mild surprise. "Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?"

"Dear me," said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver moustache quivering. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

"Sword?" said Lockhart dimly. "Haven't got a sword. That boy and girl do, though." He pointed at the twins. "They'd lend you one."

"Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?" Dumbledore said to Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha. "I'd like a few more words with Harry…"

Lockhart ambled out. Ron, Odessa, Evan and Asha cast curious looks back at Dumbledore and the twins as they closed the door.

Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.

"Sit down, Harry and Selena," he said, and the twins sat, feeling unaccountably nervous.

"First of all, Harry and Selena, I want to thank you both," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "You two must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you."

He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry and Selena grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched them.

"And so you met Tom Riddle," said Dumbledore thoughtfully. "I imagine he was most interested in you…"

Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry and Selena came tumbling out of their mouths.

"Professor Dumbledore… Riddle said we're like him. Strange likenesses, he said…"

"Did he, now?" said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry and Selena from under his thick silver eyebrows. "And what do you think, Harry and Selena?"

"I don't think we're like him!" said Harry, more loudly than he'd intended. "I mean, We're – we're in Gryffindor, we're…" But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.

"Professor," Selena added after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told us we'd – we'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought we were Slytherin's heir for a while… because we can speak Parseltongue…"

"You two can speak Parseltongue, Selena," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort – who is the last remaining descendent of Salazar Slytherin – can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you two the night he gave you those scars. Not something they intended to do, I'm sure…"

"Voldemort put a bit of himself… in us?" Harry and Selena said, thunderstruck.

"It certainly seems so."

"So we should be in Slytherin," Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore's face.

"The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in us, and it –" Selena added gloomily.

"Put you two in Gryffindor," said Dumbledore calmly. "Listen to me, Harry and Selena. You two happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his handpicked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue – resourcefulness – determination – a certain disregard for rules," he added, his moustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think."

"It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"

"But I had no problems with Slytherin. The Sorting Hat told me that I best follow in our mother's footsteps." Selena said desperately.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I think there's more to it than that, Selena. Think again."

She did and remembered feeling nervous about being separated from Harry. Had she made the choice to be with him without meaning too?

"I-I didn't want to be separated from Harry…" she said slowly.

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you two very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Potters, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." Harry and Selena sat motionless in their chairs, stunned. "If you want proof, Potters, that you both belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this."

Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall's desk, picked up the blood stained silver sword, and handed it to the twins. Dully, Harry and Selena turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then they saw the name engraved just below the hilt.

 ** _Godric Gryffindor_**

"Only a true Gryffindor could have summoned and pulled that sword from out of the hat, Harry and Selena," said Dumbledore simply.

For a minute, neither of them spoke. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall's desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.

"What you need, Harry and Selena, is some food and sleep. I suggest you two go down to the feats, while I write to Azkaban – we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft and advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too," he added thoughtfully. "We'll be needing a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher… Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don't we?"

Harry and Selena got up and crossed to the door. They had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.

Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury in his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.

"Good evening, Lucius," said Dumbledore pleasantly.

Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry and Selena over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.

The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoy's shoes. Apparently, Mr. Malfoy had set out in a great hurry, for not only were his shoes half polished, but his usually sleek hair was dishevelled. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.

"So!" he said. "You've come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts."

"Well, you see, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, "the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They'd heard that Arthur Weasleys daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think it was best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too… Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn't agree to suspend me in the first place."

Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.

"So – have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"

"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"

"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary."

He held up the small black book with the large hole through the centre, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry and Selena, however, were watching Dobby.

The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry and Selena, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.

"I see…" said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.

"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if Harry and Selena here" – Mr. Malfoy shot the twins a swift, sharp look – "and their friends hadn't discovered this book, why – Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn't acted of her own free will…"

Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly mask-like.

"And imagine," Dumbledore went on, "what might have happened then… The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and – killing Muggle-borns… Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle's memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise…"

Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak. "Very fortunate," he said stiffly.

And still behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.

And then at once Harry and Selena understood. They nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

"Don't you want to know how Ginny gold hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" said Selena.

Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.

"How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.

"Because you gave it to her," said Harry. "In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?" He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench.

"Prove it," he hissed.

"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at the twins. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort's old school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you…"

Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Harry and Selena distinctly saw his right-hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf. "We're going, Dobby!"

He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing in pain all the way along the corridor. Harry and Selena stood for a moment, thinking hard. They looked at each other, thinking hard between them. Then it came to them –

"Professor Dumbledore," Selena said hurriedly. "Can we give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"

"Certainly, Selena," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember…"

Selena grabbed the diary and she and Harry dashed out of the office. They could hear Dobby's squeals of pain receding around the corner. Quickly, wondering if this plan could possibly work, Harry and Selena took off one of their shoes, pulled off the slimy, filthy socks, and stuffed the diary into it. Then they ran down the dark corridor.

They caught up with them at the top of the stairs.

"Mr. Malfoy," they gasped, skidding to a halt, "We've got something for you –"

And they forced the smelly socks into Lucius Malfoy's hand.

"What the –?"

Mr. Malfoy ripped the socks off the diary, threw them aside, then looked furiously from the ruined book to Harry and Selena.

"You'll meet the same sticky end as your parents one of these days, Harry Potter and Selena Potter," he said softly. "They were meddlesome fools, too."

He turned to go.

"Come, Dobby. I said, come."

But Dobby didn't move. He was holding up Harry's and Selena's disgusting, slimy socks, and looking at them as though it were a priceless treasure.

"Master has given a pair of socks," said the elf in wonderment. "Master gave them to Dobby."

"What's that?" spat Mr. Malfoy. "What did you say?"

"Got a pair of socks," said Dobby in disbelief. "Master threw them, and Dobby caught them, and Dobby – Dobby is free."

Lucius Malfoy stood frozen, staring at the elf, then at the twins. Selena was smiling innocently. Then he lunged at them.

"You've lost me my servant!"

But Dobby shouted, "You shall not harm the Potter Twins!"

There was a loud bang and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumbled heap on the landed below. He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long threatening finger.

"You shall go now," he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. "You shall not touch Harry Potter and Selena Potter. You shall go now."

Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, incensed stare at the three of them, he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.

"The Potter Twins freed Dobby!" said the elf shrilly, Selena knelt down and Dobby flung his arms around her shoulders. "Harry Potter and Selena Potter set Dobby free!"

"Least we could do for you, Dobby," said Harry, grinning as he knelt down too.

"You deserve it Dobby, more than you think." said Selena, returning the hug.

The elf's ugly brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile as he stepped away.

"How can Dobby ever repay you two?"

"There is only one thing you can do Dobby," said Harry.

"Anything, sir, anything,"

The twins smiled at the elf. "Never try to save our lives again," they said together.

"We just have one question, Dobby," said Selena as Dobby pulled on the twins' socks with shaking hands. "You told us all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well –"

"It was a clue, miss," said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. "Was giving you two a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?"

"Right," said Harry weakly. "Well, we'd better go. We need to clean ourselves up before we go to the feast, and our friends Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa should be waking by now…"

Dobby threw his arms around the twins shoulders and hugged them both.

"The Potter twins are greater by far than Dobby knew!" he sobbed. "Farewell, Harry Potter and Selena Potter!"

And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.

* * *

Harry and Selena had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pyjamas, and the celebration lasted all night. Harry and Selena didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione, Adeline and Vanessa running toward him, screaming "You solved it! You solved it!" or Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to wring their hands and apologize endlessly for suspecting him, or seeing Evan and Asha tackle Vanessa into a hug as they ran over from their house tables, or Hagrid arriving at half-past three, cuffing Harry, Ron, Odessa and Selena on the shoulders so that they were knocked into their plates of trifle, or Blaise Zabini coming over from the Slytherin table to hug Adeline, a faint yet noticeable blush on his cheeks, or the eight hundred points between Harry, Selena, Ron and Odessa securing the House Cup for the second year running, or Professor Dumbledore standing up to tell them all that as a school treat all exams had been cancelled for that year ("Oh, no!" said Hermione), or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year owing to the fact that he heeded to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.

"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me."

"I know what you mean, I like the new Lockhart better than the old one." said Selena, grinning.

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences – Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were cancelled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione), so there was a lot of free time, but better than anything, Ginny was perfectly happy again.

* * *

Selena was just helping herself to her third helping of treacle pudding when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

She whirled and to her surprise, Colin Creevey was standing there with a smile on his face.

"Colin! You're okay!"

"Never been better, just disappointed that I missed most of my first year. I was really looking forward to it too."

Selena smiled. "There's always next year Colin."

Colin grinned. "I know!" he cried with excitement, "And I can't wait for summer to end. I hear that you're going back to your aunt and uncles house this summer, you and Harry."

Selena groaned. "Yes... we are. Knowing my aunt and uncle, they'll treat us with the same kindness they've always treated us."

"They must be really nice." said Colin innocently, not realising the hint Selena had dropped.

Selena nearly laughed a little at his innocence, remembering she used to be just like that, maybe she still was, just not as dominant as before. Then she remembered something involving Colin from earlier in the year.

"Listen Colin... about how I acted at the Quidditch Match... it was completely unnecessary for me to threaten you."

Colin smiled. "I know..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of parchment, and Selena beamed. "I've read your letter over twenty times and that gave me a lot of time to think... after reading your letter and hearing your point of view... I realised that I let my excitement get the better of me. I wanted to meet the famous Potter Twins, and the only telekinetic witch in the world, not the children underneath. I guess it never crossed my mind that you and Harry were still regular children... well... regular as they get. I forgive you Selena."

And Selena felt whole.

* * *

Selena had agreed to meet Draco Malfoy at their spot under the oak tree during one of these free times. The air was warm, and the waters of the lake sparkled a crystal blue in the sunshine. The leaves of the oak tree were a brilliant deep green and grew thicker nearer the top. Draco stood leaned against the trunk of the massive tree, looking resentful and sulky. Selena skipped over to him and when he saw her his mood changed instantly.

"Selena," he said, hugging her, "you came."

"Of course, I came, why wouldn't I?" she said looking at him as if he had just asked the silliest question in the world. "Why did you look so sad before?"

Draco sighed heavily. "My father's been sacked as school governor."

"Oh," Selena whispered, half-concerned and half-gleeful that Lucius had lost his job. "What's going to happen to your family now?"

"Nothing, my family so rich my father doesn't have to work, but he chooses to anyway. It's just the humiliation of what's happened."

They stood there in silence for a second, looking out over the water.

Selena suddenly remembered something from earlier in the year. "Draco, remember when you called Hermione a Mudblood?"

Draco's face fell. "I thought we were over that?"

"We are, it's just. You never did tell me why you let your father control what you believe. Why do you so all those things he tells you to do?"

Draco gulped. Now he had to tell her. "Because…" – he sighed heavily – "the only times my father has paid any attention to me is when he's teaching me about pureblood society and how Muggle-borns, Half-bloods and Half-Breeds are all filth. My mother's a little more neutral about these beliefs. She's the one who raised me, but she's often busy."

"But I'm a Half-blood, do you think I'm filth?" she asked, putting on a hurt face.

Draco gasped, shaking his head like mad. "Merlin no! Selena, you're not filth at all. You're the sweetest thing that has ever happened to me!"

Selena hid her face behind her loose hair. "You really think so?"

"Yes," he said, hugging her again, tighter this time. "I don't like the way my father looks down on non-purebloods. But it's the only way I can get him to pay attention to me."

"So… everything you do is because…"

"Because I want my father to love me. I'm like a trophy son to him. He doesn't care about me, only our pureblood name and glory."

Selena felt so broken for him. He really was a normal kid surrounded by terrible influences, raised in the dark and cold. Much like the cupboard under the stairs she spent most of her life locked up in.

"It's okay, Draco, it's okay," she soothed, letting him hold her until he felt better.

She pulled away, still holding him and looked him directly in the eyes. "He's wrong you know, your father, about blood purity making the wizard the best out of them all?"

"How can he be wrong? Purebloods keep the wizards alive."

Selena shook her head. "I don't think they do. How many Pureblood families are left?"

Draco opened his mouth to speak but closed it when he realised Selena had a point. "The Malfoy's are one of the last few remaining." he uttered in shock.

"Exactly, blood purity is destroying our population. Besides, it's not blood purity that makes the wizard good, it's the skill. Look at us, I'm a Half-Blood, you're a Pureblood. But really, we're not at all different."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sewing pin. "Give me your hand,"

Draco wondered what she meant and gave her his hand. Draco flinched as Selena pricked his finger with the pin, drawing blood. Selena then pricked her own finger and let herself bleed a little. She then held her injured finger next to Draco's, comparing their blood.

"Look carefully at our blood, Draco, what difference do you see?"

Draco looked up at her with amazement. She was right. There was no difference at all to their blood, despite himself being Pureblood and her being a Half-blood.

The look on his face was enough for Selena as she wiped away the blood with a handkerchief and smiled sweetly at him. To Draco, it looked as though she was glowing in the sunshine, her ember red hair billowing around her face.

Draco finally brought himself to reality and smiled back. "We've still got another hour before lunch. I've got an idea on what we can do." He pulled out his wand and waved it in the air, muttering a spell. With a pop, a gold violin with silver strings appeared floating in the air. Draco flicked his wand at the instrument and the violin started playing on its own, filling the area with a beautiful, enchanted melody. "It's an ancient Celtic song from over a thousand years ago. I know how much you like music and dance, so" – he took her hand and kissed her knuckles – "Selena Potter, would you care for a dance?"

Selena giggled, her face glowing brightly. "I'd love to, Draco Malfoy."

(Play this video while reading the next bit: watch?v=AhJILVW7vlE)

Draco and Selena joined arms and Draco led her into the dance. Selena loved it. The dance was very upbeat and cheerful, but there was also a sense of love behind the violin's song. Draco twirled her around a few times and even knelt down on one knee as she skipped around him, the smile never leaving her face. It was magical. Neither of them noticed the sound of the bell ringing for lunch as they were so caught up in the moment, it seemed like they (as far as Draco and Selena knew) were the only people who existed in the world. Selena felt her heart swell to the sound of the violin playing and Draco's gentle touch. She mentally sighed. So much for putting her feelings behind her.

* * *

Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Selena, Fred, George, and Ginny got the compartment to themselves. They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic. Harry and Selena were getting very good at it.

They were almost at King's Cross when Harry remembered something.

"Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well – Percy's got a girlfriend."

Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.

"What?"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was – you know – attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously.

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who looking like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering.

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer – he'll know, so will Evan, Asha, Adeline and Vanessa. Call us at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to…"

Selena cleared her throat, putting on a hurt expression.

"But we've also got each other," Harry quickly added, ruffling his sister's hair. Selena grinned

"If you lose them, the girls have also got copies I gave them earlier." said Selena still grinning.

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you two did this year?"

"Proud?" said Harry.

"Proud?" said Selena. "Are you crazy? All those times we could've died, and neither of us managed it? They'll be furious…"

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

* * *

 **I do not own the song included, all rights go Taylor Davis for her cover of For the Dancing and the Dreaming. For the Dancing and the Dreaming is from the movie How to Train you Dragon 2**


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